Interplay between self-compassion and affect during Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living for recurrent depression: An Autoregressive Latent Trajectory analysis

M J Ter Avest; R Schuling; C U Greven; M J Huijbers; T F Wilderjans; P Spinhoven; A E M Speckens

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2021.103946

Interplay between self-compassion and affect during Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living for recurrent depression: An Autoregressive Latent Trajectory analysis

Behav Res Ther. 2021 Nov:146:103946. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103946. Epub 2021 Aug 12.

Authors

M J Ter Avest¹, R Schuling², C U Greven³, M J Huijbers⁴, T F Wilderjans⁵, P Spinhoven⁶, A E M Speckens⁷

Affiliations

¹ Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mindfulness, Reinier Postlaan 4, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: marleen.teravest@radboudumc.nl.
² Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mindfulness, Reinier Postlaan 4, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: rhoda.schuling@radboudumc.nl.
³ Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Center, Reinier Postlaan 12, 6525 G, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: c.greven@donders.ru.nl.
⁴ Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mindfulness, Reinier Postlaan 4, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: marloes.huijbers@radboudumc.nl.
⁵ Methodology and Statistics Research Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Building, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC), 2300 RC, Leiden, the Netherlands; Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: wilderjans@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
⁶ Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Building, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: spinhoven@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
⁷ Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mindfulness, Reinier Postlaan 4, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: anne.speckens@radboudumc.nl.

PMID: 34479145
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103946

Abstract

Background: The current study aimed to investigate the possible interplay between self-compassion and affect during Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) in recurrently depressed individuals.

Methods: Data was used from a subsample of a parallel-group randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of MBCL in recurrently depressed adults (n = 104). Self-reports of self-compassion and positive/negative affect were obtained at the start of each of the eight MBCL sessions.

Results: Bivariate Autoregressive Latent Trajectory (ALT) modeling showed that, when looking at the interplay between self-compassion and positive/negative affect on a session-to-session basis, no significant reciprocal cross-lagged effects between self-compassion and positive affect were found. Although there were no cross-lagged effects from negative affect to self-compassion, higher levels of self-compassion at each session did predict lower levels of negative affect at the subsequent session (b_{SC(t-1),NA(t)} = -0.182, s.e. = 0.076, p = .017).

Conclusions: The current study shows that increases in self-compassion are followed by decreases in negative affect in MBCL for depression.

Keywords: Affect; Autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) modeling; MBCL; Mindfulness-based compassionate living; Recurrent depression; Self-compassion.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Depression / therapy
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Empathy
Humans
Mindfulness*
Self-Compassion