Participation in Online Mindfulness was Associated with Improved Self-Compassion and Prosocial Attitudes

Abstract Objectives Online mindfulness programs have become popular due to their increased accessibility compared to face-to-face programs. Although research has demonstrated that face-to-face mindfulness programs can increase trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and prosocial attitudes, fewer studies have explored these outcomes in online programs. This study aimed to test whether an online mindfulness program improved trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and prosocial attitudes, and whether improvements related to self-reported quality and quantity of mindfulness practice. Method Repeated-measures ANOVAs compared measures of trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and prosocial attitudes between 209 pre- and post-program survey responses from participants who completed a 4-week online mindfulness program. Regressions were used to test whether the quantity or quality of mindfulness practice predicted changes in these measures, and mediation analyses tested whether associations between mindfulness practice and outcomes were mediated by changes in trait mindfulness. Results The study found that participation in the mindfulness program was associated with improved trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and prosocial attitudes (all p < 0.01) and that males showed larger increases in prosocial attitudes (p < 0.05). The study also showed an association between the quality of formal mindfulness practice and improvements in both self-compassion and trait mindfulness (p < 0.01). Lastly, the mediation analysis suggested the association between the quality of formal practice and self-compassion was mediated by changes in trait mindfulness (p < 0.05). Conclusion These results suggest online mindfulness programs can lead to improved trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and prosocial attitudes. Our results also indicate that higher self-reported practice quality is related to improved trait mindfulness, and that changes in trait mindfulness mediated improved self-compassion. Pre-registration This study was not pre-registered.