Long-term effectiveness of the Mindful Self-Compassion programme compared to a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention: a quasi-randomised controlled trial involving regular mindfulness practice for 1 year.
Antonio Crego, José Ramón Yela, María Ángeles Gómez-martínez, Elena Sánchez-zaballos, Aitor Vicente-arruebarrena
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1597264
Summary
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) both significantly enhance mental health, effectively reducing anxiety and depression. In a longitudinal study with 170 participants, those in MSC (n = 48) and MBSR (n = 65) groups experienced sustained improvements in psychological flexibility, perceived stress, and emotional well-being over one year of practice. Notably, both programs yielded similar benefits, demonstrating that MSC is as effective as the established MBSR in promoting mental health among individuals, making mindfulness accessible to a broader audience.
Abstract
This study compares the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme with the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a well-established intervention, and a control group, and includes 1 year of continuous practice. A longitudinal quasi-RCT was conducted with measurements at baseline, post-training, 6 months and 1 year. A total of 170 individuals (75.9% female) were randomly assigned to the MSC (n = 48) and MBSR (n = 65) groups, with a non-fully randomised wait-list CG (n = 57). Using intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis strategies, results consistently indicated that standard 8-week MSC and MBSR trainings produced benefits on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and positive and negative affect, as well as on variables related to psychological flexibility, compared with CG. These gains were maintained over a year of continuous practice in both training groups. Overall, the two programmes, MSC and MBSR, showed a similar trajectory over the measurement periods. The 8-week MSC programme and the regular practice of mindfulness and self-compassion appear to be an effective intervention for promoting mental health in the general population, with benefits similar to those derived from the practice of exercises from well-known mindfulness programmes such as MBSR.