Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates self-compassion can be beneficial for medical populations and for medical adherence; yet, research to date has not fully examined the reasons for this association. This study examined the association of dispositional self-compassion to adherence across five medical samples and tested the extent to which perceived stress accounted for this association. Five medical samples (total N = 709), including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer patients, recruited from various sources, completed online surveys. Self-compassion was positively associated with adherence in all five samples. A meta-analysis of the associations revealed a small average effect size (average r = .22, [0.15, 0.29]) of self-compassion and adherence and non-significant heterogeneity among the effects (Q (4) = 3.15, p = .532). A meta-analysis of the kappa2 values from the indirect effects of self-compassion on adherence revealed that, on average, 11% of the variance in medical adherence that was explained by self-compassion could be attributed to lower perceived stress. Overall, findings demonstrate that dispositional self-compassion is associated with better medical adherence among people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer, due in part to lower stress. This research contributes to a growing evidence base indicating the value of self-compassion for health-related behaviours in a variety of medical populations.
Highlights
A burgeoning body of research indicates that self-compassion, taking a kind, accepting, and mindful stance towards oneself when dealing with challenges and failures (Neff 2003b), can be beneficial for a range of health-related outcomes, including the practice of important health behaviours
The k2 values were significant for each sample, and the meta-analysis of these effects found that, on average, 11.0% of the variance in medical adherence that was explained by self-compassion could be attributed to lower stress
The current study replicates and extends this research by finding that dispositional self-compassion was associated with better adherence to physician recommendations across five diverse medical samples, including people with FMS, CFS, and cancer
Summary
A burgeoning body of research indicates that self-compassion, taking a kind, accepting, and mindful stance towards oneself when dealing with challenges and failures (Neff 2003b), can be beneficial for a range of health-related outcomes, including the practice of important health behaviours. For individuals living with long-term conditions that require ongoing medical care and monitoring, engaging in health-promoting behaviours are especially important for the maintenance of health. It has been noted that self-compassion could be beneficial for promoting the self-regulation of health behaviours in the context of chronic health conditions (Sirois and Rowse 2016). Consonant with this view, self-compassion may be beneficial for facilitating patient adherence to medical recommendations. Defined as the extent to which an individual engages in health recommendations from a health-care provider (Taylor and Sirois 2014), patient adherence is a health behaviour with important implications for a variety of patient contexts and outcomes. Consistent adherence, in contrast, is linked to improved physical health outcomes, lower
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