The Relationship between Self-Compassion and Predictors of Depressed Mood in Parents of People with Eating Disorders

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between self-compassion and possible predictors of depressed mood in parents of people with eating disorders. A questionnaire design was conducted cross‐sectionally in a sample of 112 parents of people with eating disorders. Participants completed measures of depressed mood, experiences of entrapment, shame, guilt, self-criticism and self-compassion. Regression analyses showed entrapment and self-criticism to be mediators between the relationship of shame and depressed mood. Self-compassion appeared to reduce the experience of depressed mood through its effect on shame and entrapment. Self-compassion also appeared to reduce the experience of depressed mood through its effect on self-criticism. This study explored processes of depression and the buffering effects of self-compassion on these processes. These findings support an evolutionary understanding of depressed mood and the potential benefits of applying compassion-focused interventions for parents of people with eating disorders.