Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR)
Stress and Health March 15, 2010 Kathryn Birnie, Michael Speca, Linda E. Carlson 599 citations
A community sample participated in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme. After the programme, participants showed significant reductions in stress symptoms and mood disturbance, along with increases in mindfulness, spirituality, and self-compassion. For empathy, perspective taking increased significantly and personal distress decreased significantly, but empathic concern did not change. Changes in self-compassion were linked to changes in mindfulness. Self-compassion and certain aspects of empathy were strongly associated with psychological well-being. The findings suggest MBSR can enhance self-compassion and specific empathy components.