Retirement from sport is a major life transition that can involve changes in athletic identity, self-worth, and body image concerns. Although interest in interventions for active athletes is growing, support for retired athletes remains limited. Self-compassion meditations have improved self-compassion and body appreciation, and reduced body shame and appearance-based self-worth in other populations, but have not been studied with retired athletes. This study evaluated the feasibility (acceptability, retention, recruitment) of a 3-week self-compassion meditation intervention for retired athletes with body image concerns. Secondary outcomes included changes in self-compassion, body dissatisfaction, body shame, body appreciation, and appearance-contingent self-worth. A randomized mixed-methods feasibility trial with a waitlist control group was conducted. Thirty-seven retired athletes (18+) who had competed at collegiate, provincial, or national levels engaged in a 21-day self-guided online meditation program using three audio-based self-compassion practices. Recruitment rate reflected enrollment over time, and retention was the proportion completing the intervention. Acceptability was assessed through thematic analysis of open-ended responses. ANCOVAs controlling for baseline values examined secondary outcomes. Retention was appropriate (76
Many acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors experience elevated levels of emotional distress. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as a promising approach. However, conclusions regarding their effectiveness are challenged by substantial methodological heterogeneity in study designs, sample characteristics, intervention contents, and adaptations for ABI-specific challenges. To address this heterogeneity, this scoping review aimed to (a) describe which participants are typically included or excluded, (b) compare the aims and contents of MBIs, and (c) document population-specific adaptations. The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, and APA PsycINFO databases were searched for English, peer-reviewed articles describing MBIs in adult ABI populations. Information on participant characteristics, recruitment criteria, intervention contents, and adaptations was extracted. Thirty-four unique studies were included. Research was skewed towards stroke and traumatic brain injury samples in the chronic phase (> 6 months) after ABI. Studies varied greatly in the operationalisation and application of recruitment criteria. Although most interventions were labelled as (based on) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, intervention components were highly diverse. Most studies mentioned implementing population-specific delivery-based or content-based adaptations, although the added value of these adaptations was typically not evaluated, nor did they translate to more inclusive recruitment. Overall, the reporting of participant recruitment, intervention contents, and adaptations warrants greater detail and transparency. The results reveal large variations in what is delivered, to whom, and how. These insights can help to disentangle conflated evidence and facilitate replication, to streamline efforts to make MBIs accessible to people living with the consequences of ABI. This study is not preregistered.
Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) experience impaired quality of life (QoL) that persists despite symptomatic remission. Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions (MABIs) target psychological processes linked to QoL that pharmacotherapy addresses poorly. An earlier synthesis found no reliable effect of MABIs on QoL, and an updated synthesis is warranted because several randomized trials have subsequently been published. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the effect of MABIs on QoL in adults with SSD. Six databases were searched to March 2026 following PRISMA 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing MABIs with control conditions in adults with SSD and assessing QoL with validated instruments were eligible. Hedges’ g was calculated using a change-score approach and pooled with random-effects models; subgroup, meta-regression, sensitivity, risk-of-bias, and GRADE analyses were conducted. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria; nine RCTs (n = 567) contributed to the primary analysis. MABIs produced a small, statistically significant improvement in QoL (g = 0.26, 95
Chronic pain is frequently accompanied by depressive and anxiety symptoms. Evidence on whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) improves pain-related and psychological outcomes remains inconsistent. To evaluate the effects of standardized MBSR on pain-related outcomes, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms in adults with chronic pain. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, EBSCO, and APA PsycNet were searched from inception to September 2025. Randomized controlled trials of stand-alone standardized MBSR in adults with chronic pain were eligible. An outcome-specific framework guided the synthesis. Hedges’ g values were pooled with random-effects models; heterogeneity, moderators, robustness, small-study effects, risk of bias, and certainty were assessed. Thirty randomized controlled trials involving 2,721 participants were included. The pooled estimate favored MBSR for pain-related outcomes but did not reach statistical significance (k = 20; Hedges’ g = − 0.40, 95
Current interventions for problematic gaming have rarely examined the effect of self-compassion. This is noteworthy given its close relations with intrapersonal factors that contribute to problematic gaming. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of an online self-guided self-compassion intervention on reducing problematic gaming as well as test the mediation role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity. A total of 183 gamers completed the baseline survey and were then randomly assigned either to an intervention group or waitlist control group. The intervention group participated in a 2-week online course whereas the control group received no intervention. Measures included self-compassion, self-esteem, self-concept clarity, internet gaming disorder, and online game addiction across three time points. The intervention produced significant improvements in self-compassion, self-esteem, and reductions in problematic gaming, with changes in self-compassion and problematic gaming maintained at the 1-month follow-up. Self-concept clarity, as well as the sequential mediation of self-esteem and self-concept clarity, mediated the relationship between self-compassion and problematic gaming. The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of this online self-help self-compassion intervention in reducing problematic gaming and shed light on the intrapersonal mechanisms by which self-compassion exerts its effects. As an easy-to-implement approach, this intervention showed promising potential, warranting further research to examine its feasibility and effectiveness for large-scale applications in addressing problematic gaming. This study was preregistered with the Open Science Framework (OSF; registry identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/WVJZ8).
