Research into the clinical utility of Buddhist-derived interventions (BDIs) has increased greatly over the last decade. While clinical interest has predominantly focussed on mindfulness meditation, there has also been an increase in the scientific investigation of interventions that integrate other Buddhist principles such as compassion, loving kindness, and 'non-self'. However, due to the rapidity at which Buddhism has been assimilated into the mental health setting, issues relating to the misapplication of Buddhist terms and practices have sometimes arisen. Indeed, hitherto, there has been no unified system for the effective clinical operationalization of Buddhist principles. Therefore, this paper aims to establish More importantly, there is a need for greater dialogue between Buddhist teachers and mental health clinicians and researchers in order to safeguard the ethical values, efficacy, and credibility of BDIs.

Although clinical interest has predominantly focused on mindfulness meditation, interest into the clinical utility of Buddhist-derived loving-kindness meditation (LKM) and compassion meditation (CM) is also growing. This paper follows the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis) guidelines and provides an evaluative systematic review of LKM and CM intervention studies. (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek, & Finkel, 2008), (vi) the accuracy and encoding of socialrelevant stimuli (Mascaro, Rilling, Negi, & Raison, 2013a), and (vii) affective processing (Desbordes et al., 2012).CM is described in the psychological literature as the meditative development of affective empathy as part of the visceral sharing of others' suffering (Shamay-Tsoory, 2011).LKM is more concerned with the meditative cultivation of a feeling of love for all beings (Lee et al., 2012). Depending on whether they are practising LKM or CM, the meditation practitioner first establishes themselves in meditative absorption and then intentionally directs either compassionate (CM) or altruistic/loving (LKM) feelings towards a specific individual, 3 group of individuals (which can also include sentient beings in general), and/or situation, and has conviction that they are tangibly enhancing the wellbeing of the person or persons concerned (Shonin, Van Gordon, & Griffiths, 2014b). Although CM and LKM interventions in clinical contexts are typically delivered using a secular format (i.e., without the explicit use of Buddhist terminology), the manner in which CM and LKM techniques are operationalized in clinical settings is still reasonably closely aligned with the traditional Buddhist model. Buddhist Construction of Loving-kindness and CompassionWithin Buddhism, loving-kindness (Sanskrit: maitrī) is defined as the wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes (Bodhi, 1994). Compassion (Sanskrit: karunā) is defined as the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes.In conjunction with 'joy' (Sanskrit: muditā) and 'equanimity' (Sanskrit: upeksā), lovingkindness and compassion make up what are collectively known as the 'four immeasurable attitudes' (Sanskrit: catvāri brahmaviharas). Although in Buddhist meditation the four immeasurable attitudes are often generated and then emanated to other sentient beings one at a time, each attitude is deeply connected to, and reliant upon, the others. For example, the immeasurable attitude of 'joy' highlights the Buddhist view that genuine loving-kindness and compassion can only develop in a mind that is 'well-soaked' in meditative bliss, and that has transmuted both gross and subtle forms of ego-attachment (Khyentse, 2007). Likewise, given the objective is to distribute loving-kindness and/or compassion in equal and unlimited measures to all sentient beings, the immeasurable attitude of 'equanimity' emphasizes the need for total impartiality in one's regard for others (for a detailed discussion of the four immeasurable attitudes, see Na...

Background: Throughout the last decade, there has been a growth of interest into the

Due to its potential to concurrently improve work-related wellbeing (WRW) and job performance, occupational stakeholders are becoming increasingly interested in the applications of meditation. The present study conducted the first randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of meditation on outcomes relating to both WRW and job performance.Office-based middle-hierarchy managers (n = 152) received an eight-week meditation intervention (Meditation Awareness Training; MAT) or an active control intervention. MAT participants demonstrated significant and sustainable improvements (with strong effect sizes) over control-group participants in levels of work-related stress, job satisfaction, psychological distress, and employer-rated job performance. There are a number of novel implications: (i) meditation can effectuate a perceptual shift in how employees experience their work and psychological environment and may thus constitute a cost-effective WRW intervention, (ii) meditation-based (i.e., present-moment-focussed) working styles may be more effective than goal-based (i.e., future-orientated) working styles, and (iii) meditation may reduce the separation made by employees between their own interests and those of the organizations they work for.

A narrative review of the major evidence concerning the relationship between emotional regulation and depression was conducted. The literature demonstrates a mediating role of emotional regulation in the development of depression and physical illness. Literature suggests in fact that the employment of adaptive emotional regulation strategies (e.g., reappraisal) causes a reduction of stress-elicited emotions leading to physical disorders. Conversely, dysfunctional emotional regulation strategies and, in particular, rumination and emotion suppression appear to be influential in the pathogenesis of depression and physiological disease. More specifically, the evidence suggests that depression and rumination affect both cognitive (e.g., impaired ability to process negative information) and neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis overactivation and higher rates of cortisol production). Understanding the factors that govern the variety of health outcomes that different people experience following exposure to stress has important implications for the development of effective emotion-regulation interventional approaches (e.g., mindfulness-based therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and emotion regulation therapy).

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