Loving-kindness meditation to enhance the psychological recovery of individuals with persistent negative symptoms of schizophrenia: A pilot study

Background. A significant subgroup of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia experience persistent negative symptoms, which are particularly important given the association with poor long-term functioning and prognosis. Currently, there are few well-established treatments for negative symptoms. Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is an intervention focused on directing warm, compassionate feelings to the self and others. When tested with non-psychiatric samples, LKM was found to improve psychological well-being and deficits associated with negative symptoms. Methods. LKM was tested in an uncontrolled study design for its feasibility and initial efficacy in a pilot sample of 18 participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who have persistent negative symptoms. Results. Findings suggest that the intervention is feasible and acceptable based on attendance rates and feedback from participants. Preliminary data also indicate that LKM was associated with increased positive emotions, decreased negative symptoms, and increased psychological recovery at post-treatment and 3 month follow-up assessments. Conclusions. Initial data about the efficacy of LKM are encouraging although an uncontrolled study design precludes strong conclusions until further testing is conducted. If future results are consistent with the current pilot study, LKM could be a promising intervention to enhance the recovery of individuals with negative symptoms.