Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion: A Mindfulness Approach

Self-criticism is a core feature of multiple mood and anxiety disorders, sometimes persists even after effective treatment of other features of these disorders, and can constitute a vulnerability factor for relapse. Like cognitive-behavioral therapy, self-compassion has been found to promote a more balanced view, to improve emotion regulation, and to decrease rumination and avoidance. To learn about compassion-based therapies, researchers in Germany recruited 122 people via the Web (mean age, 37; 78% women) with high scores on a self-criticism measure and randomized them to usual care alone or with an 8-week, internet-based program of Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL).

Almost half the group had a current mood or anxiety disorder,…