DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of Mindful Self-Compassion Training on Anxiety, Depression and Emotion Regulation

  • Kim, Sunghwan (Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine) ;
  • Song, Yungsook (Department of Buddhist Studies, College of Buddhist Studies and Culture, Dongguk University) ;
  • Lee, Kyoung-Uk (Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2022.02.15
  • Accepted : 2022.03.30
  • Published : 2022.04.30

Abstract

Objective : The present study examined the effectiveness of the mindful self-compassion (MSC) program on anxiety, depression, self-compassion and emotion regulation. Methods : A total of 29 subjects (mean age 27.5±6.5 years, 15 males and 14 females) participated in a standardized 8-week MSC program. The control group consisted of age- and sex-matched twenty participants (mean age 26.0±2.9 years, 11 males and 9 females). All subjects completed self-report measurements at two weeks before and after the MSC program. Results : MSC training improved self-compassion as demonstrated by the significant group x time interaction effects on the total Self-Compassion Scale scores (F[1, 47]=8.324, p<0.01). Regarding the subscale scores, a significant improvement in self-kindness, isolation and mindfulness components of self-compassion was observed after MSC training. A significant group x time interaction was observed on the self-kindness subscale (F[1, 47]=4.664, p<0.05), with a significant main effect of time (F[1, 47]=23.723, p<0.001). The isolation subscale showed a significant group x time interaction (F[1, 47]=8.698, p<0.001). For the mindfulness subscale, there was a significant group x time interaction (F[1, 47]=6.611, p<0.05) and main effect of time (F[1, 47]=6.611, p<0.05). MSC training also improved the acceptance emotion regulation strategy, as demonstrated by the significant group x time interaction in the acceptance subscale scores of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (F[1, 47]=6.845, p<0.05). Conclusion : MSC training showed efficacy in fostering self-compassion and improving emotion regulation. Thus, this program might be applicable to improve mental health.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The author(s) wish(es) to acknowledge the financial support of The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, Clinical Research Laboratory Foundation made in the program year of 2018.

References

  1. Cicchetti D, Ackerman BP, Izard CE. Emotions and emotion regulation in developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology 1995;7:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400006301
  2. Gross JJ. The emerging field of emotion regulation: an integrative review. Rev Gen Psychol 1998;2:271-299. https://doi.org/10.1037//1089-2680.2.3.271
  3. Garnefski N, Van Den Kommer T, Kraaij V, Teerds J, Legerstee J, Onstein E. The relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional problems: comparison between a clinical and a non-clinical sample. European Journal of Personality 2002;16:403-420. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.458
  4. Sloan E, Hall K, Moulding R, Bryce S, Mildred H, Staiger PK. Emotion regulation as a transdiagnostic treatment construct across anxiety, depression, substance, eating and borderline personality disorders: a systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2017;57:141-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.002
  5. Neff KD. The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity 2003;2:223-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027
  6. Barnard LK, Curry JF. Self-compassion: conceptualizations, correlates, & interventions. Review of General Psychology 2011;15:289-303. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025754
  7. MacBeth A, Gumley A. Exploring compassion: a meta-analysis of the association between self-compassion and psychopathology. Clin Psychol Rev 2012;32:545-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.003
  8. Neff KD, Rude SS, Kirkpatrick KL. An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality 2007;41:908-916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2006.08.002
  9. Leary MR, Tate EB, Adams CE, Allen AB, Hancock J. Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: the implications of treating oneself kindly. J Pers Soc Psychol 2007;92:887-904. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887
  10. Neff KD, Hsieh YP, Dejitterat K. Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity 2005;4:263-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576500444000317
  11. Murfield J, Moyle W, O'Donovan A, Ware RS. The role of self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, and emotion regulation in the psychological health of family carers of older adults. Clin Gerontol 2020:1-13.
  12. Germer CK, Neff KD. Self-compassion in clinical practice. J Clin Psychol 2013;69:856-867. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22021
  13. Yela JR, Gomez-Martinez MA, Crego A, Jimenez L. Effects of the Mindful Self-Compassion programme on clinical and health psychology trainees' well-being: a pilot study. Clinical Psychologist 2020;24:41-54. https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12204
  14. Bluth K, Gaylord SA, Campo RA, Mullarkey MC, Hobbs L. Making friends with yourself: a mixed methods pilot study of a mindful self-compassion program for adolescents. Mindfulness (NY) 2016;7:479-492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0476-6
  15. Neff KD, Germer CK. A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. J Clin Psychol 2013;69:28-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21923
  16. Smeets E, Neff K, Alberts H, Peters M. Meeting suffering with kindness: effects of a brief self-compassion intervention for female college students. J Clin Psychol 2014;70:794-807. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22076
  17. Wang Y-P, Gorenstein C. Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II: a comprehensive review. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria 2013;35:416-431. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2012-1048
  18. Sung HM, Kim JB, Park YN, Bai DS, Lee SH, Ahn HN. A study on the reliability and the validity of Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). J Korean Soc Biol Ther Psychiatry 2008;14:201-212.
  19. Lim SY, Lee EJ, Jeong SW, Kim HC, Jeong CH, Jeon TY, et al. The Validation Study of Beck Depression Scale 2 in Korean Version. Anxiety and Mood 2011;7:48-53.
  20. Spielberger CD. State-trait anxiety inventory. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press;1983.
  21. Han DW, Lee CH, Chon KK. Koran adaptation of Spielberger's STAI (K-STAI). Korean Journal of Health Psychology 1996;1:1-14.
  22. Neff K. The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity 2003;2:223-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027
  23. Kim KE, Yi GD, Cho YR, Chai SH, Lee WK. The validation study of the Korean version of the Self-Compassion Scale. The Journal of Health Psychology 2008;13:1023-1044.
  24. Garnefski N, Kraaij V, Spinhoven P. Negative life events, cognitive emotion regulation and emotional problems. Personality and Individual Differences 2001;30:1311-1327. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00113-6
  25. Kim SH. A study on relationships among the stressful events, cognitive emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being. Seoul, The Catholic University of Korea;2004.
  26. Min JA, Yu JJ, Lee CU, Chae JH. Cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributing to resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders. Compr Psychiatry 2013;54:1190-1197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.05.008
  27. Noguchi K, Gel YR, Brunner E, Konietschke F. nparLD: An R Software Package for the Nonparametric Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Factorial Experiments. Journal of Statistical Software 2012;50:1-23.
  28. Neff KD, Knox MC, Long P, Gregory K. Caring for others without losing yourself: an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Healthcare Communities. Journal of Clinical Psychology 2020;76:1543-1562. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23007
  29. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, Dyrbye LN, Sotile W, Satele D, et al. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Archives of Internal Medicine 2012;172:1377-1385. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.3199
  30. Kumar S. Burnout and psychiatrists: what do we know and where to from here? Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 2011;20:295-301. https://doi.org/10.1017/S204579601100059X
  31. Rose GL, Brown RE Jr. The impaired anesthesiologist: not just about drugs and alcohol anymore. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 2010;22:379-384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2009.09.009
  32. Ferrari M, Hunt C, Harrysunker A, Abbott MJ, Beath AP, Einstein DA. Self-compassion interventions and psychosocial outcomes: a meta-analysis of RCTs. Mindfulness 2019;10:1455-1473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01134-6
  33. Richardson D, Jaber S, Chan S, Jesse MT, Kaur H, Sangha R. Self-compassion and empathy: impact on burnout and secondary traumatic stress in medical training. Open Journal of Epidemiology 2016;06:161-166. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojepi.2016.63017
  34. Finlay-Jones AL, Rees CS, Kane RT. Self-Compassion, emotion regulation and stress among australian psychologists: testing an emotion regulation model of self-compassion using structural equation modeling. PLoS One 2015;10:e0133481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133481
  35. Pauley G, McPherson S. The experience and meaning of compassion and self-compassion for individuals with depression or anxiety. Psychol Psychother 2010;83(Pt 2):129-143. https://doi.org/10.1348/147608309X471000
  36. Wang SM, Lee HK, Kweon YS, Lee CT, Chae JH, Kim JJ, et al. Effect of emotion regulation training in patients with panic disorder: Evidenced by heart rate variability measures. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2016.
  37. Baer R. Self-compassion as a mechanism of change in mindfulness-and acceptance-based treatments. Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: illuminating the theory and practice of change 2010:135-153.
  38. Keng SL, Smoski MJ, Robins CJ, Ekblad AG, Brantley JG. Mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based stress reduction: self-compassion and mindfulness as mediators of intervention outcomes. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 2012;26:270-280. https://doi.org/10.1891/0889-8391.26.3.270
  39. Leary MR, Tate EB, Adams CE, Batts Allen A, Hancock J. Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2007;92:887-904. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887
  40. Diedrich A, Burger J, Kirchner M, Berking M. Adaptive emotion regulation mediates the relationship between self-compassion and depression in individuals with unipolar depression. Psychol Psychother 2017;90:247-263. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12107
  41. Garnefski N, van den Kommer T, Kraaij V, Teerds J, Legerstee J, Onstein EJ. The relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional problems: comparison between a clinical and a non-clinical sample. European Journal of Personality 2002;16:403-420. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.458
  42. Stayton LE, Dickstein BD, Chard KM. Impact of self-blame on cognitive processing therapy: a comparison of treatment outcomes (1573-6598 [Electronic]).
  43. O'Toole MS, Mennin DS, Hougaard E, Zachariae R, Rosenberg NK. Cognitive and Emotion Regulation Change Processes in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder (1099-0879 [Electronic]).