The relationship between empathy and mindfulness: Understanding the role of self-compassion

This study provided an in-depth examination of the relationship between mindfulness and empathy, and the role of self-compassion in this relationship. Specifically, this study looked at three dimensions of empathy; perspective taking, which is the tendency to take on the point of view of others in interpersonal situations; empathic concern, which is the tendency to experience feelings of care and concern towards others; and personal distress, which is the tendency to react with discomfort to the emotional experience of others. One hundred twenty-seven individuals participated in this study, which consisted of an online survey using self-report measures to assess levels of mindfulness, self-compassion, and the three dimensions of empathy. Correlational analyses indicated strong correlations between mindfulness and perspective taking, and mindfulness and personal distress, in that individuals with high levels of mindfulness were more likely to report high levels of perspective taking and low levels of personal distress. Multiple regression analyses indicated that self-compassion plays some role in the relationship between mindfulness and personal distress, but does not mediate the relationship. Unexpectedly, self-compassion was found to fully mediate the relationship between mindfulness and perspective taking, indicating that self-compassion is an important factor in an individual's tendency to take on the point of view of other individuals. Non judging and non-reacting were the components of mindfulness that related most strongly to perspective taking, personal distress, and self-compassion, indicating that these two facets of mindfulness play an important role in compassion towards oneself as well as others. Empathic concern did not relate significantly to mindfulness, but did have a strong positive correlation with self-compassion, supporting self-compassion's role in the development of compassion towards others. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at cultivating mindfulness have strong potential in the area of interpersonal functioning and may enhance feelings of empathy and compassion for oneself and others.