We would like to acknowledge Susan Pollak for her assistance in conducting this study.
Intervention Research
You have free access to this content
A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program
Article first published online: 15 OCT 2012
DOI: 10.1002/jclp.21923
© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Neff, K. D. and Germer, C. K. (2013), A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. J. Clin. Psychol., 69: 28–44. doi: 10.1002/jclp.21923
Publication History
- Issue published online: 11 DEC 2012
- Article first published online: 15 OCT 2012
References
- , & (2007). Promoting self-compassionate attitudes toward eating among restrictive and guilty eaters. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 1120–1144.
- (2010). Self-compassion as a mechanism of change in mindfulness- and acceptance-based treatments. In R. A. Baer & R. A. Baer (Eds.), Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: Illuminating the theory and practice of change (pp. 135–153). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
- , , , , & (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
- , , (2010). Exploring Self-compassion and Empathy in the Context of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Stress and Health, 26, 359–371.
- , , , , , , & … (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241.Direct Link:
- (2003). Radical acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha. New York, NY: Bantam.
- , & (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: A review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative And Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593–600.
- (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
- , , & (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 386–396.
- , & (2011). Acceptance of pain, self-compassion and psychopathology: Using the chronic pain acceptance questionnaire to identify patients’ subgroups. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 18, 292–302.
- , , , & (2003). Contingencies of self-worth in college students: Theory and measurement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 894–908.
- , & (2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 392–414.
- , , , & (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.
- , , , , & (2007). Mindfulness and emotion regulation: The development and initial validation of the cognitive and affective mindfulness scale-revised (CAMS-R). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 29(3), 177–190.
- (2009). The mindful path to self-compassion: Freeing yourself from destructive thoughts and emotions. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- (2010). Compassion focused therapy: Distinctive features. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
- , & (2005). Focused therapies and compassionate mind training for shame and self-attacking. In P. Gilbert, (Ed.), Compassion: Conceptualisations, research and use in psychotherapy. London, UK: Routledge.
- , , , & (2011). Fears of compassion: Development of three self-report measures. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 84, 239–255.
- , & (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 13, 353–379.
- , , & (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 351–374.
- , & (1987). Seeking the heart of wisdom. Boston, MA: Shambhala.
- , & (2010). Compassion focused therapy for eating disorders. International Journal Of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 141–158.
- , , , & (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43.
- , , , & (2010). Self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 16, 366–373.
- , , & (2011). Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: Potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 1126–1132.
- , , , & (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal Of Consulting And Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183.
- , & (2011). Mindfulness, self-compassion, and happiness in non-meditators: A theoretical and empirical examination. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 222–227.
- , , , , , & (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 537–559.
- (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4, 33–42.
- , , , & (2009). Who benefits from training in self-compassionate self-regulation? A study of smoking reduction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29, 727–755.
- , , (2009). Soothing oneself and resisting self-attacks: The treatment of two intrapersonal deficits in depression vulnerability. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33, 301–313.
- , , & (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 1041–1056.
- , & (2009). Measuring the immeasurables: Development and validation of the Self-Other Four Immeasurables (SOFI) scale based on Buddhist teachings on loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Social Indicators Research, 92, 169–181.
- , , , , , , (2010). How does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy work? Behavior Research and Therapy, 48, 1105–1112.
- , , , , & (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 887–904.
- , & (2010) Effects of mindfulness-based group intervention on the mental health of middle-aged Korean women in community. Stress and Health, 26, 341–348.
- , & (1995). Measuring belongingness: The social connectedness and social assurance Scales. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42, 232–241.
- , , , , , & Rippon, G. (2009). Having a word with yourself: Neural correlates of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Neuroimage, 49, 1849–1856.
- (2010). Compassion focused therapy for people with bipolar disorder. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 172–185.
- , & (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137–155.
- , , & (2010). The role of self-compassion in women's self-determined motives to exercise and exercise-related outcomes. Self & Identity, 9, 363–382.
- (2003a). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223–250.
- (2003b). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2, 85–102.
- (2011). Self-Compassion. New York, NY: William Morrow.
- (2012). The science of self-compassion. In C. Germer & R. Siegel (Eds.), Compassion and wisdom in psychotherapy (pp. 79–92). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- , & (2012). The role of self-compassion in romantic relationships. Self and Identity. doi:10.1080/15298868.2011.639548
- , , & (2005). Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity, 4, 263–287.
- , & (2012). The relationship between self-compassion and other-focused concern among college undergraduates, community adults, and practicing meditators. Self and Identity. doi:10.1080/15298868.2011.649546
- , & , & (2007). An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 908–916.
- , & (2010). The experience and meaning of compassion and self-compassion for individuals with depression or anxiety. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 83, 129–143.
- (2011). The compassion scale. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72, 1174.
- , , , & (2011). Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 18(3), 250–255.
- , & (2011). Pilot study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for trainee clinical psychologists. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 39(2), 235–241.
- , , , , & (2008). A pilot exploration of heart rate variability and salivary cortisol responses to compassion-focsed imagery. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 5, 132–139.
- (1997). Lovingkindness: The revolutionary art of happiness. Boston, MA: Shambala.
- , , & (2012). When leaving your Ex, love yourself: Observational ratings of self-compassion predict the course of emotional recovery following marital separation. Psychological Science, 23(3), 261–269.
- , , & (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- , & (2000). “Positive psychology: An introduction.” American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.
- , , , & (2005). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 12, 164–176.
- , , & (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1, 105–115.
- , , & (1970). STAI Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
- , & (2011). Self-compassion, self-regulation, and health. Self and Identity, 10, 352–362.
- , & (2009). The narcissism epidemic. New York, NY: Free Press.
- , , , & (2011). Self-compassion is a better predictor than mindfulness of symptom severity and quality of life in mixed anxiety and depression. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25, 123–130.
- , , , & (2011). Does self-compassion mitigate the association between childhood maltreatment and later emotional regulation difficulties? International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9, 480–491.
- , , , , & (2006). Measuring mindfulness–The Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1543–1555.
- , & (1997). Impact of event scale revised. In J.P. Wilson & T.M. Keane (Eds.), Assessing psychological trauma and PTSD: A Practitioner's Handbook. New York, NY: Guilford.
- (1991). The psychology of sympathy. New York, NY: Plenum.
- , & (in press). Self-compassion, interpersonal conflict resolutions, and wellbeing. Self and Identity. doi:10.1080/15298868.2011.649545

1097-4679/asset/olbannerleft.jpg?v=1&s=740195308d618b43d37c23cda286f91bc5dcc746)
1097-4679/asset/olbannercenter.png?v=1&s=d808ae238d537a609423cf18fad5b0d10ffa0da6)
1097-4679/asset/olbannerright.jpg?v=1&s=3fd3c8dd747a40891967a805a9789c36411b0db3)
