Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators
The Journal of Positive Psychology April 11, 2012 Ruth A. Baer, Emily L. B. Lykins, Jessica R. Peters 391 citations
Both mindfulness and self-compassion appear to contribute independently to psychological wellbeing, and together they fully explain the link between meditation experience and wellbeing. In a cross-sectional comparison of 77 experienced meditators and 75 matched nonmeditators, most mindfulness and self-compassion scores correlated significantly with meditation experience and wellbeing. The relationship between meditation experience and wellbeing was entirely accounted for by combined mindfulness and self-compassion scores, suggesting that these skills may be key mechanisms through which mindfulness training improves wellbeing. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.