The impact of compassion-focused therapy on positive and negative mental health outcomes: Results of a series of meta-analyses
Journal article
| Authors | Petrocchi, N., Ottaviani, C., Cheli, S., Matos, M., Baldi, B., Basran, J. K. and Gilbert, P. |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Objectives: Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is an integrative, evolution-informed approach to mental health difficulties that has been growing rapidly in the last 30 years. This series of meta-analyses examined the overall efficacy of CFT on positive and negative mental health outcomes, in both clinical and nonclinical populations, compared to active and passive control conditions. Method: A systematic search of six databases was conducted, focusing on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled pilot/feasibility studies of CFT only. All non-English articles and studies focusing on other compassion-based approaches were excluded. Forty-seven controlled trials from the last 14 years were included, with data from 7,875 participants from 17 countries. Results: Even after the exclusion of extreme outliers, CFT was effective in reducing overall negative mental health outcomes (k = 32, g = 0.72, p < .0001), depression (k = 23, g = 0.49, p < .0001), self-criticism (k = 17, g = 0.40, p < .0001) and in improving compassion for self and others (k = 24, g = 0.51, p < .0001). Heterogeneity was high and only partially reduced by moderation analysis, which highlighted larger effects in specific subgroups. Publication bias was present in the meta-analyses conducted on negative outcomes and depressive symptoms. Discussion: Although the long-term effects of CFT are yet to be established and larger-scale, higher-quality RCTs are required, the current state of evidence highlights the benefits of CFT on a range of outcomes in both clinical and nonclinical samples. |
| Keywords | meta-analysis; compassion-focused therapy; compassionate mind training; depression; self-criticism |
| Year | 2024 |
| Journal | Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice |
| Journal citation | 31 (2), p. 230–247 |
| Publisher | APA |
| ISSN | 1468-2850 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1037/cps0000193 |
| Web address (URL) | https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2024-33588-001.html |
| Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Open |
| Output status | Published |
| Publication dates | Jun 2024 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Deposited | 04 Sep 2025 |
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/qzx10/the-impact-of-compassion-focused-therapy-on-positive-and-negative-mental-health-outcomes-results-of-a-series-of-meta-analyses
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