The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Psychoeducation Program on Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Forgiveness Tendencies of Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study examined the effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation program on mindfulness, self-compassion, and forgiveness in patients with bipolar disorder using a pretest–posttest randomized controlled experimental design. The study sample comprised of 40 patients (experimental group, n  = 20; control group, n  = 20). A mindfulness-based psychoeducation program was administered to the experimental group, while no intervention was administered to the control group. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Mindfulness Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale. The study revealed that the experimental group’s mean scores on the mindfulness, self-compassion, and forgiveness scales following the intervention were significantly higher than those of the control group ( p  < .05). This study found that a mindfulness-based psychoeducation program increased mindfulness, self-compassion, and forgiveness in patients with bipolar disorder. The findings are limited to a small outpatient sample from a single CMHC and may not be generalizable to hospitalized patients with more severe clinical presentations. Mindfulness-based educational programs may enhance mental health, improve illness insight, support symptom management, and strengthen social functioning in individuals with bipolar disorder. The results emphasize the importance of integrating these programs into treatment processes and reveal the necessity for psychiatric nurses to actively implement mindfulness-based interventions. Psychiatric nurses should consider incorporating mindfulness-based techniques into their practice to improve the mental health of individuals with bipolar disorder, better understand the disorder, control symptoms, and improve social interactions.