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. 2022 Oct 20:13:992575.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992575. eCollection 2022.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on empathy: A meta-analysis

Zhengyu Hu  1   2 , Yurong Wen  2   3 , Yafei Wang  2 , Yangyang Lin  2 , Jian Shi  1   2 , Zihan Yu  1 , Youtian Lin  2   4 , Yuling Wang  2
Affiliations

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on empathy: A meta-analysis

Zhengyu Hu et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Empathy is essential for human survival and social interaction. Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been used to improve empathy in healthy populations, its therapeutic efficacy remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of MBIs on empathy in a healthy population and the potential factors affecting the efficacy of MBIs. The literature search focused on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CNKI from inception to September 2022. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies reporting the effects of using MBIs on empathy in healthy populations were included. A total of 13 studies were included in this review. Results of the meta-analysis showed that MBIs improved empathy (SMD, 0.372, 95% CI, 0.164-0.579, p = 0.001) in the healthy population compared with that in the control group. Moreover, results of the subgroup analysis showed that intervention dose (over 24 h vs. under 24 h), format (online vs. offline), and types (different types) were important factors affecting treatment outcomes. This comprehensive review suggests that MBIs are effective treatment for empathy in healthy population. Future research should markedly focus on large-sample, rigorously designed experiments to explore the long-term effects of MBIs on empathy and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of MBIs. This study provides a reference for the daily application of MBIs.

Keywords: empathy; meditation; meta-analysis; mindfulness; randomized controlled trial.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart of study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk of bias assessment across included studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) effects on empathy.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Subgroup analyses by intervention dose.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Subgroup analyses by format of intervention.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Publication bias funnel plots of standard errors and effect sizes of the included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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