Role Of Self-compassion Research Articles

Self-compassion and related factors in severe mental illness: A scoping review.

To clarify what is known and identify research gaps on the role of self-compassion (SC) and potential interventions for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). We analyzed 24 studies of SC in schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was the most common intervention. Predicting depression by SC was common in MDD and BD; however, relationships between demographics/clinical variables and SC in BD and schizophrenia spectrum disorder remain unclear. MBCT increases SC in SMI. Data regarding predictors of SC are limited, especially in schizophrenia.

The Role of Self Compassion and Mindful Eating in Predicting Eating Attitudes: A Comparatative Study

The Role of Self Compassion and Mindful Eating in Predicting Eating Attitudes: A Comparatative Study

Effects of Breast Cancer on Women's Psychological Health: A Review of Self-Compassion-Based Interventions in Body Image

Research on how breast cancer and its treatment affect women's psychological health is increasing day by day. There is information that the psychological health of women is affected not only in the treatment, but also during the period from cancer diagnosis to the beginning of cancer treatment. In recent years, pre-rehabilitation intervention, which is an up-to-date approach that recommends intervention in this process, comes to the fore. The problems women experience with their body images have an important place in the effects of breast cancer and its treatment on women's psychological health. Body image is defined as a conceptualized state of the emotions, thoughts and behaviors that a person feels about their physical characteristics. In recent years, interventions aimed at reducing body image problems in women with breast cancer have been increasing. Self-compassion is defined as an individual's approach to their flaws with a sincere, caring and warm attitude. The emphasis on the role of self-compassion in reducing the problems that women with breast cancer experience with body images is increasing day by day. Based on this information, in this study, the literature on the problems faced by women with breast cancer with their body image and the role of self-compassion in reducing these problems is reviewed and discussed within the scope of pre-rehabilitation intervention. Keywords: Self-compassion, breast cancer survivors, interventions for self-compassion, body image

Perceived attachment to God relates to body appreciation: mediating roles of self-compassion, sanctification of the body, and contingencies of self-worth

ABSTRACT Various studies demonstrate links between attachment to God and body image, though few consider secure attachment to God or positive body image specifically. Further, little is known about explanatory mechanisms, and many studies have relied on samples of White college women. In the current study, we proposed several potential mediators to better understand the relationship between perceived attachment to God and body image. Emerging adults (N = 288) in the U.S. responded to multiple measures assessing body image and religion/spirituality through the Amazon Mechanical Turk Prime platform. Findings revealed that a more secure perceived attachment to God was associated with more body appreciation. Self-compassion, sanctification of the body, and certain contingencies of self-worth mediated these relationships, with patterns differing somewhat based on gender identity. These findings expand the literature pertaining to r/s and body image and can hopefully be utilized to help emerging adults cultivate positive images of their bodies.

Predicting nurse's depression based on self-compassion and resilience

Introduction: Depression is one of the most important health problems in nurses. Despite the obvious protective role of some human abilities against psychological problems, there is limited information about the predictive role of self-compassion and resilience with depression in nurses. The purpose of present study was to determine the relationship of self-compassion and resilience with nurses’ depression.
 Method: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on170 nurses working in Yazd Afshar Hospital selected by convenience sampling method. Data collection tool was a questionnaire, including demographic characteristics, Beck Depression, Neff Self-compassion, and Connor and Davidson resilience completed through self-report. The data were analyzed by SPSS using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis.
 Results: Most of the subjects were female (62.35%) and had bachelor’s degree. Mean ± standard deviation of depression, self- compassion, and resilience scores were72/17 ±28/8; 65/31±46/1; 65/33 ±06/1, respectively. There was a significant relationship between depression and self-compassion, as well as depression and resilience. Furthermore, multiple regression analyses showed that self-compassion and resilience can predict depression (R=0.627).
 Conclusion: The results indicated the importance and protective role of self-compassion and resilience against depression in nurses. Therefore, designing counseling systems and self-compassion and resilience educational programs are recommended to reduce the problems caused by the stressful conditions of the profession.

Psychological well-being and death anxiety among breast cancer survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic: the mediating role of self-compassion

BackgroundDespite the abundance of clinical data available for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), little research on the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors has been published. We investigate the extent to which self-compassion accounted for the association between psychological well-being (depression, anxiety) and death anxiety in breast cancer survivors.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was applied. Participants were recruited from three departments of oncology in Zanjan, Iran. Data were collected from 210 breast cancer patients. Participants completed self-report measures. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship among the study variables. Bootstrapping analyses were used to test the significance of indirect effects.ResultsCorrelational analyses revealed that depression and anxiety were significantly and positively related to death anxiety (r = 0.77, p < 0.01; r = 0.85, p < 0.01, respectively) and negatively to self-compassion (r = − 0.48, p < 0.01; r = − 0.53, p < 0.01, respectively). Bootstrapping analyses revealed significant indirect effects of depression (β = 0.065, SE = 0.35, p < 0.03, 95% CI [LL = − 0.0083, UL: − 0.1654]) and anxiety (β = 0.089, SE = 0.09, p < 0.04, 95% CI [LL = − 0.0247, UL: − 0.1987]) on death anxiety through self-compassion.ConclusionsFindings from this study indicate that self-compassion may be considered as one treatment strategy to improve psychological well-being of cancer patients in the new context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feel Good, Eat Better: The Role of Self-Compassion and Body Esteem in Mothers' Healthy Eating Behaviours.

Mothers’ eating behaviours are important to ensure the health and well-being of themselves and their families. Recent research has pointed to self-compassion, defined as extending kindness to oneself in times of perceived inadequacy or general suffering, as a trait associated with healthy forms of eating, such as intuitive eating, and reduced maladaptive forms of eating, such as emotional eating. However, little is known about the psychological mechanism through which self-compassion relates to healthy eating behaviours. This study examined 100 mothers’ levels of self-compassion, body esteem and eating behaviours. Structural equation modelling revealed that self-compassion was positively associated with diet quality and intuitive eating, while being negatively associated with emotional eating. Moreover, these links occurred, in part, due to higher body esteem. This points to a mechanism through which self-compassion may positively contribute to mothers’ healthy eating behaviours. The implications for eating outcomes and women’s health are discussed.

Sticking fewer (or more) pins into a doll? The role of self-compassion in the relations between interpersonal goals and aggression

Sticking fewer (or more) pins into a doll? The role of self-compassion in the relations between interpersonal goals and aggression

Adjusting Identities When Times Change: The Role of Self-Compassion.

Adjusting identity standards may be preferable to relentless pursuit or abandonment of an identity when facing an identity-challenging life transition. Self-compassion (SC) can help people adjust to challenges. The authors examined whether SC was associated with identity adjustment, exercise, and the moderating effect of identity-behavior discrepancy in 279 women exercisers who reported reduced exercise in motherhood. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale and reported the extent of and reflected on their identity discrepant behavior (reduced exercise). Reactions to discrepancy (acceptance, shame, guilt, and rumination), correlates of identity adjustment (subjective well-being, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and role conflict), and exercise behavior were assessed. SC associated positively with acceptance, correlates of successful identity adjustment, and exercise behavior. SC associated negatively with shame, rumination, and correlates of unsuccessful adjustment. SC may help exercise-identifying women who exercise less after becoming mothers adaptively cope with this identity challenge and continue exercising.

Self-Compassion, Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors, and Psychological Well-Being in Women

Despite pressures on women to make healthy lifestyle choices and a bevy of constantly changing fitness trends and gadgets, national trends related to women’s health reflect a decline in wellness and serious health disparities based on race and socioeconomic status. Therefore, factors underlying women’s success in adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors continue to be an essential area for research in health promotion. Previous studies have preliminarily explored the role of self-compassion in women’s health with regard to exercise and eating although less is known about how these factors contribute to overall psychological well-being. In this study, we investigated the relationships between self-compassion, engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors, and overall psychological well-being among a sample of 340 adults from diverse backgrounds. Results supported the hypothesis that more self-compassionate women engage more frequently in healthy lifestyle behaviors and experience greater psychological well-being. Engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors partially mediated the relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being, such that engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors explained a significant amount of variance in psychological well-being over and above self-compassion. Participants of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups reported higher levels of self-compassion, and higher socioeconomic status participants reported greater engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors.

The Role of Self-Compassion in the Job Demands-Resources Model, an Explorative Study among Crisis Line Volunteers.

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model has hardly been studied in volunteer organizations and there is a scarcity of studies evaluating self-compassion as a personal resource within the JD-R model. The present study addresses these gaps in current knowledge, first by examining the applicability of the JD-R model in a crisis line volunteer organization. Second, self-compassion is examined, both in terms of its moderating role on the exhaustion process as well as its role on the motivation process. Structural equation modelling was used for the analyses. The influence on the organizational outcome ‘compassion towards others’ was examined using a multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the JD-R model has an acceptable fit on this sample and supports the central assumption that exhaustion and motivation are two independent but related processes. This study provides evidence that self-compassion is a valuable addition to the JD-R model, as it has an indirect effect on both processes, and increases the explained variance in compassion towards others by 7% through the exhaustion process and by 3% through the motivational process. These findings point to the importance of focusing on self-compassion in training and supervision in volunteer organizations.

Parenting a Child with Mental Health Problems: the Role of Self-Compassion

Parenting a Child with Mental Health Problems: the Role of Self-Compassion

The role of self-compassion on the relationship between trauma and hearing voices.

Traumatic life events are associated with increased risk of hearing voices and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms have been implicated in this relationship. Studies indicate that increased self-compassion is associated with reduced PTS symptoms and voice-distress. The present study sought to examine whether self-compassion moderated the relationship between PTS symptoms and voice-distress. Self-report and clinician-administered questionnaires were used to measure self-compassion, PTS symptom severity, voice-frequency, and voice-distress in 62 trauma-affected voice-hearers who presented to a community voice-hearing clinic. Correlation analyses revealed that PTS symptom severity was positively correlated with voice-distress, but not voice-frequency, and that self-compassion was negatively correlated with voice-distress and PTS symptom severity. While self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between PTS symptom severity and voice-distress, it was associated with a significant reduction in voice-distress, at all levels of PTS symptom severity. Preliminary findings suggest self-compassion may play an important role in reducing voice-distress and thus warrant further consideration of self-compassion as a target in treatment for help-seeking voice-hearers.

Growth after Trauma: The Role of Self-Compassion following Hurricane Harvey

The psychological impact of a traumatic event includes potentially both negative (e.g., PTSD, depression, and anxiety) as well as positive (e.g., post-traumatic growth) outcomes. The construct of self-compassion—the capacity to be compassionate towards oneself—has been associated with various psychological benefits following disasters; however, the association between self-compassion and PTG have not yet been examined in natural disaster settings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between these constructs, with self-compassion as a potential mediator in this relationship. Three hundred and nine undergraduate students affected by the impact of Hurricane Harvey were recruited. Statistical analyses revealed a significant mediation effect, with PTSD symptoms being both directly and indirectly (via self-compassion) associated with PTG. The capacity to grow from traumatic experiences is mediated by one’s disposition to be compassionate towards oneself, serving as a resilience factor to provide individuals with the cognitive and emotional resources to grow after trauma. These findings have significant implications in both clinical and research contexts, including the use of self-compassion interventions to protect against PTSD and other comorbid psychopathology and also act as a catalyst for growth following natural disaster events.

The Role of Self-compassion and Hope in the Relationship Between Psychological Wellbeing, Maladaptive Schemas, Resilience, and Social Support in Women With Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Psychological disorders often threaten the mental health of individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Higher levels of psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction provide these patients with better social relationships and greater biopsychological health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological wellbeing, early maladaptive schemas, resilience and perceived social support mediated by self-compassion and hope in women with MS. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted from August to October 2019. The study population consisted of all female patients with MS who were admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Milad Hospital, and Charity Foundation for Special Diseases in Tehran City, Iran. Using the stratification convenience sampling method, 300 patients were recruited as the study sample. The research instruments included the Self-Compassion Scale, Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire-Short Form, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, Ryff’s Scale of Psychological Wellbeing, and the Adult Hope Scale. The collected data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. SPSS and AMOS were used for analyzing the collected data. Results: There was a positive and significant relationship between self-compassion, hope, resilience, perceived social support, and psychological wellbeing (P&lt;0.01). There was also a negative relationship between early maladaptive schemas and psychological wellbeing in the study participants (P&lt;0.01). The indirect path analysis data indicated that self-compassion and hope played a mediating role in the relationship between perceived social support, resilience, early maladaptive schemas, and psychological wellbeing (P&lt;0.01). Conclusion: The designed model fitted the empirical data very well. Therefore, the research components can help researchers, therapists, and psychiatric nurses to design better procedures to care for patients with MS.

Exploring Self-Compassion in Older Adults: a systematic review

The present study sought to synthesize available evidence on the role of self-compassion in elders aged 60 or above and its potential implications during the process of aging. A systematic review was conducted in order to search for empirical scientific articles with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods with a focus on self-compassion in samples with elders aged 60 years or more. Searches were carried out in the Psycinfo, Scopus, Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases, without limit of time. After the application of including and excluding criteria, 11 articles were considered eligible for this review, with all presenting good methodological quality. Self-compassion was found to be a promising skill that can promote healthy psychosocial aging, enabling a better adjustment to changes associated with aging. Such results contribute to the development of new mental health intervention protocols, especially in the field of psychogerontology. There is a need for more longitudinal research and investment in the development of specific interventions for this age group.

Caregivers' Experiences of Infant Feeding Problems: The Role of Self-Compassion and Stress Management

Introduction Infant feeding problems are strongly associated with caregiver stress, which in turn is linked to poorer outcomes for children. Self-compassion is a modifiable trait strongly associated with improved mental health and greater resilience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-compassion, stress management practices, and caregiver stress in a sample of parents who identified feeding problems in their infants. Method Parents who identified feeding problems in their infants completed an online survey. They described the feeding problems, completed the Self-Compassion Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale, and detailed their stress management practices. Results Higher self-compassion was strongly associated with lower overall stress and more modestly associated with lower feeding-related distress. More severe feeding problems were significantly more stressful for caregivers. Participants reported a wide variety of stress management approaches. Discussion These findings indicate that higher self-compassion is associated with lower caregiver stress for parents whose infants experience feeding problems. Implications for service providers are reviewed. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14831028.

What Can Affect Competition Anxiety in Athletes? The Role of Self-Compassion and Repetitive Negative Thinking.

Identifying the correlates of competition anxiety is fundamental to athletes' well-being and performance. Self-compassion is gaining attention in sport psychology because of its associations with positive outcomes, while repetitive negative thinking (i.e. worry and rumination) is associated with negative conditions, such as anxiety. Building on previous evidence in the general population of associations between self-compassion, repetitive negative thinking, and trait anxiety, we investigated these relations in athletes of different sports. A total of 263 athletes (Mage = 23.72, SD = 6.97, 141 males) completed scales measuring self-compassion, repetitive negative thinking, and trait competition anxiety. Regression models showed the effects of self-compassion and worry on concern (the cognitive component of anxiety), and of worry on somatic anxiety. Gender, number of competitions a year, and years of practice were also associated with trait competition anxiety. A subsequent mediation model revealed significant direct and indirect effects of self-compassion on anxiety, mediated by worry. Results are discussed theoretically and considering their practical implications for athletes.

Psychological functioning and well-being before and after bariatric surgery; what is the benefit of being self-compassionate?

ObjectiveTo investigate whether patients’ psychological well‐being (depression, quality of life, body image satisfaction) and functioning (self‐efficacy for eating and exercising behaviours and food cravings) improve 12 months after bariatric surgery and whether self‐compassion is associated with better psychological outcomes and lower weight after bariatric surgery.DesignLongitudinal, prospective observational study.MethodsBariatric patients (n = 126, 77.8% female, 46.4 ± 10.8 years) completed the Self‐compassion Scale, Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale, Impact of Weight on Quality‐of‐Life questionnaire, Body Image Scale, Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire, Spinal Cord Injury Exercise Self‐Efficacy Scale, and G‐Food Craving Questionnaire pre‐operatively and 12 months post‐operatively. A medical professional measured patients’ weight during each assessment. Data were analysed using repeated measures t‐tests and multivariate regression analyses with Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple testing.ResultsPatients’ BMI, depression, and food cravings decreased significantly after surgery while quality of life, body image satisfaction, and self‐efficacy to exercise improved. Higher self‐compassion was associated with lower post‐operative depression, greater quality of life, higher body image satisfaction, and better self‐efficacy for eating behaviours (p‐values <.05) but not with post‐operative BMI, self‐efficacy to exercise, or food cravings.ConclusionsEven though pre‐operative self‐compassion was not directly associated with a lower 12‐month post‐operative BMI, it had a positive relationship with patients’ post‐operative well‐being and self‐efficacy for controlling eating behaviour. In turn, this could help patients to manage their health long after bariatric surgery. Further work regarding the role of self‐compassion on long‐term health outcomes would be worthwhile.

Psychological Well-Being in the Elderly: The Role of Self-Compassion and Alexithymia

Psychological Well-Being in the Elderly: The Role of Self-Compassion and Alexithymia