Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to explore whether selfcompassion predicted psychological distress over and above childhood maltreatment and attachment orientation in high-risk youths. Fifty-one youths (31 males, 20 females) aged 17 to 24, recruited from a community non-profit organization in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, were administered validated measures of childhood maltreatment, attachment orientation, self-compassion, and psychological distress. Results indicated that self-compassion was inversely associated with childhood maltreatment, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and psychological distress. However, results did not support the hypothesis that self-compassion was a significant predictor of psychological distress over and above attachment anxiety and childhood maltreatment in high-risk youths. Our results indicated that self-compassion is not well developed in street-involved youths and may be a vital intervention target to heal negative internalized views of the self, while maintaining vigilance to threats inherent in the street environment.
Highlights
Homelessness for children and youths are at crisis levels
Our first objective was to examine whether self-compassion was inversely associated with insecure attachment orientations, severity of childhood maltreatment, and psychological distress
Our second objective was to determine whether self-compassion predicted psychological distress over and above attachment orientation and childhood maltreatment
Summary
Homelessness for children and youths are at crisis levels. In Canada, approximately 40,000 adolescents (ages 13–24) are homeless every year (Gaetz, Dej, et al, 2016; Gaetz, O’Grady, et al, 2016). The street culture is dangerous and unstable, these youths view leaving home as an escape from untenable environments where they may endure emotional, physical, and sexual abuse (Kidd, 2004). Street-involved youth have many obstacles to survival, with high rates of childhood maltreatment, poor bonds with their family of origin, and unstable housing that fosters psychological distress. The severity of these psychological challenges makes it imperative to identify protective factors that mediate the mental health struggles that come with physical and emotional deprivation
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