To date, research on CCT™ suggests consistent practice of CCT™ meditations can lead to:
Increased Happiness Calmness Acceptance of emotions Self-acceptance Job satisfaction Self-caring behavior Compassion for self and others Openness to receiving compassion from others
Decreased Worry and anxiety Anger Mind wandering Emotional suppression Reports of chronic pain severity
Are you a researcher interested in conducting a study involving CCT™?
The Compassion Institute is dedicated to promoting strong and ethical academic research on the impacts of Compassion Cultivation Training™. We would be delighted to hear from you regarding research topics, and other inquiries you may have.
Published peer-reviewed studies on CCT™ are listed here.
Hansen NH, Juul L, Pallesen K, Fjorback LO. Effect of a Compassion Cultivation Training Program for Caregivers of People With Mental Illness in Denmark: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(3):e211020. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.1020
Brito-Pons, G., Campos, D., & Cebolla, A. (2017) Implicit or Explicit Compassion? Effects of Compassion Cultivation Training and Comparison with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0898-z
Jazaieri, H. & Goldin, P. (2017) Investigating Moderators of Compassion Meditation Training in a Community Sample. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0857-0
Jazaieri, H., McGonigal, K., Lee, I., Jinpa, T., Doty, J., Gross, J. & Goldin, P. (2017) Altering the Trajectory of Affect and Affect Regulation: the Impact of Compassion Training. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0773-3
Scarlet, J., Altmeyer, N., Knier, S., & Harpin, R. E. (2017). The effects of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) on health-care workers. Clinical Psychologist, 21(2), 116-124. doi:10.1111/cp.12130
Jazaieri, H., Lee, I., McGonigal, K., Jinpa, T., Doty, J., Gross, J., & Goldin, P. (2015). A wandering mind is a less caring mind: Daily experience sampling during compassion meditation training. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(1), 37-50. doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1025418
Chapin, H. L., Darnall, B. D., Seppala, E. M., Doty, J. R., Hah, J. M., & Mackey, S. C. (2014). Pilot study of a compassion meditation intervention in chronic pain. Journal of Compassionate Health Care, 1(1). doi:10.1186/s40639-014-0004-x
Ruchelli, G., Chapin, H., Darnall, B., Seppala, E., Doty, J., & Mackey, S. (2014). Compassion meditation training for people living with chronic pain and their significant others: a pilot study and mixed-methods analysis. The Journal of Pain, 15(4). doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2014.01.479
Jazaieri, H., McGonigal, K., Jinpa, T., Doty, J. R., Gross, J. J., & Goldin, P. R. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of compassion cultivation training: Effects on mindfulness, affect, and emotion regulation. Motivation and Emotion, 38(1), 23-35. doi:10.1007/s11031-013-9368-z
Jazaieri, H., Jinpa, T., McGonigal, K., Rosenberg, E. L., Finkelstein, J., Simon-Thomas, E., Cullen, M., Doty, J., Gross, J., Goldin, P. R. (2012). Enhancing Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Compassion Cultivation Training Program. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4), 1113-1126. doi:10.1007/s10902-012-9373-z
Rojas B, Catalan E, Diez G, Roca P (2023) A compassion-based program to reduce psychological distress in medical students: A pilot randomized clinical trial. PLoS ONE 18(6): e0287388. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287388
