Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI

Self-judgment is a trans-diagnostic symptom among various psychological disorders, therefore can be a therapeutic target for many common psychiatric conditions. Self-judgment often arises among those who experienced childhood maltreatment, which increases the risk for developing comorbid psychiatric disorders that are resistant to traditional pharmacological and psychological interventions. Understanding the neural correlates of the therapeutic effect of behavioral interventions for reducing self-judgment is key for developing and refining evidence-based intervention programs. This single arm pilot study (N = 24) explored the neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after an eight-week mindful self-compassion (MSC) intervention program for a sample of adult patients with either anxiety or depressive disorders, with 83 % having more than one diagnoses. The results demonstrated significant reduction of self-judgment after the intervention (p