Self-Compassion: A Potential Path to Adolescent Resilience and Positive Exploration

Children and adolescents weathering the storm: Resilience in the presence of bullying victimization, harassment, and pandemic lockdown in northern Norway

Resilience is a concept of growing interest because it can systematically inform prevention measures and psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to explore resilience factors among young people who are victims of bullying and harassment (age 9 to 16 years old). In 2021 the burden of the pandemic lockdown became an additional adversity. The study used a repeated cross-sectional design. Two datasets with a total of 2,211 participants from 2017 (N = 972) and 2021 (N = 1,239) were included. The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) was applied to define the resilient and non-resilient groups, and the quality-of-life questionnaire (KINDL) was used to map resilience factors. A total of 227 participants reported that they were being bullied, and 604 participants reported harassments from their peers. We used correlation and regression analyses to identify which factors predicted the highest resistance to the negative effects of bullying and harassment. The results were that 77.2% of the participants stayed resilient when facing these maladjustments, but this dropped to 61.7% during the pandemic. The most important resilience factors before the pandemic were the school environment, emotional well-being, and good relations with their friends. The impact of these predictors changed during the pandemic. Emotional well-being increased in strength, school environment was reduced, and friends did not predict resilience anymore. The effect sizes were generally large to medium. As it is common to experience adversity at some stage in life, it is vital for families, schools, social and healthcare workers to be aware of the factors associated with resilience. The results of this study may contribute towards an evidence base for developing plans to increase the capacity of resilience among young people.

Self-compassion and health-related quality of life in individuals with endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

International research highlights the detrimental impact of endometriosis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), yet few studies have examined positive resources such as self-compassion and resilience as correlates. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between self-compassion and HRQoL in individuals with endometriosis in Aotearoa New Zealand. Resilience and perceived symptom severity were examined as potential mediators.

METHODS AND MEASURES

Six hundred and three individuals with endometriosis completed an online questionnaire measuring demographic and endometriosis-related information, endometriosis symptoms (number and severity), HRQoL, self-compassion and resilience.

RESULTS

In line with international research, the current sample reported significant impairment in all aspects of HRQoL. As expected, those with higher levels of self-compassion reported less impairment in HRQoL, and this relationship was partially mediated by perceived symptom severity (all aspects of HRQoL). Resilience mediated the relationship between self-compassion and two aspects of HRQoL (emotional wellbeing and control/powerlessness).

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that HRQoL is significantly impaired in individuals with endometriosis in Aotearoa New Zealand and point to the potential role of self-compassion and resilience as protective factors in encouraging positive coping styles to manage symptoms and maintain high HRQoL. Interventions targeting self-compassion may be a promising tool to improve wellbeing in individuals with endometriosis.

Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others: The Mediated Effect of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resilience

Studies from individualistic cultural contexts have shown there were no or negative significant correlation between self-compassion and compassion (for others). However, there may be a closer association between them in a collectivism and Buddhism culture. This study randomly selected 441 college students in China and used measures of self-compassion, trait compassion (compassion for others), psychological resilience, and perceiving social support to investigate this relationship. The results showed a moderately positive correlation between self-compassion and compassion. Further chain-mediation analyses revealed that self-compassion not only directly predicted compassion for others but also indirectly influenced it through the mediating effects of perceiving social support and psychological resilience. The results of this study suggest that the quality of compassion may be significantly influenced by culture.

Perceived stress and resilience among college students: The roles of self-compassion and anxiety symptomatology

OBJECTIVE

The current study explored the role of self-compassion on the relationship between perceived stress and resilience among college students experiencing different levels of anxiety symptomatology.

PARTICIPANTS

Three hundred and forty-five undergraduate students (Mage= 19.66; 74.8% female) were recruited from a public university in the northeastern United States.

METHODS

Participants completed self-report measures assessing perceived stress, self-compassion, anxiety symptomatology, and resilience.

RESULTS

Self-compassion was found to indirectly affect the association between perceived stress and resilience at both low (b = -0.06, 95% CI [-0.08, -0.04]) and high levels (b = -0.03, 95% CI [-0.05, -0.01]) of anxiety symptomatology. The index of moderated mediation was significant (b = 0.005, 95% CI [0.001, 0.01]).

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study suggest that interventions to enhance resilience should incorporate strategies aimed at managing stress and anxiety and increasing self-compassion.

Protocol of a cluster randomised trial of BodyKind: a school-based body image programme for adolescents

BACKGROUND

Poor body image is prevalent among adolescents and associated with several negative outcomes for their physical and psychological health. There is a pressing need to address this growing public health concern, yet there are few evidence-informed universal programmes for older adolescents that address contemporary body image concerns (i.e., social media). BodyKind is a four lesson, school-based, teacher led, universal body image programme that incorporates empirically supported principles of cognitive dissonance, self-compassion, compassion for others and social activism, to support positive body image development. Building on previous pilot trials in the USA, this paper outlines the protocol for a cluster randomised control trial (cRCT) and implementation evaluation of the BodyKind programme which was culturally adapted for the Irish cultural context.

METHODS

We aim to recruit 600 students aged 15-17 years in Transition Year (4th year) across 26 second-level schools in Ireland. Using minimisation, schools will be randomly assigned to receive BodyKind (intervention condition, n=300) or classes as usual (waitlist control, n=300). Teachers in intervention groups will receive training and deliver the programme to students over four weeks, at a rate of one lesson per week. Primary outcomes of body appreciation, body dissatisfaction and psychological wellbeing and secondary outcomes of self-compassion, compassion for others, body ideal internalisation, social justice motives and appearance-based social media use will be assessed at pre-, post- and 2 month follow up. Mediation and moderation analyses will be conducted to identify how and for whom the intervention works best. An implementation evaluation will assess the quality of programme implementation across schools and how this may influence intervention outcomes. Waitlist control schools will receive the programme after the 2-month follow up.

CONCLUSION

This study will be the first to implement a cRCT and an implementation evaluation to assess the impact of this multicomponent school-based body image programme designed to support healthy body image development. If shown to be effective, BodyKind will have the potential to improve adolescent body image and wellbeing and inform efforts to implement sustainable and scalable programmes in schools.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was retrospectively registered on 10/10/2023 on ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06076993 .

Resilience and self-compassion among persons with depressive disorders: Prerequisite for a positive mental health approach

Background

Treatment gap for common mental health problems, especially of the depressive disorders is consequential in developing countries like India. Positive mental health domains like resilience and self-compassion have been long hailed as protective factors against depression and viable for use in therapeutic aspects. The objectives were to find an association between resilience, self-compassion, and depression.

Methods

The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design among 75 respondents who were seeking treatment for major depressive disorders from a tertiary care center during the second wave of COVID-19. Three scales were administered online, namely Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD RISC-25), and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Spearman's rank correlation test, Chi-square with Fisher's exact test, and Kruskal Wallis H test were used to study the relationships and differences in average scores with respect to the severity of depression.

Results

Most of the respondents had moderate depressive features along with moderately high levels of resilience (CD RISC 25) and self-compassion (SCS-SF) scores. Resilience and self-compassion were found to have no significant relationship with respect to the severity of depression. There was a weakly positive correlation between resilience and self-compassion among those with moderate and severe depression.

Conclusion

Since the individuals with depression had higher scores on resilience and self-compassion, the levels of depression remained at moderate levels of severity despite the devastating impact of the second wave of COVID-19 in the Indian sub-continent. Results are to be interpreted with respect to psychosocial contexts arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health programs can incorporate the variables of resilience and self-compassion in intervention among individuals with depression which have likely been beneficial in their process of recovery.

Examining the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies as predictors of teacher resilience in EFL context

Introduction

This study investigates the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies on teacher resilience in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The study aims to understand the relationships between these variables and their potential implications for promoting teacher resilience.

Methods

A sample of 711 Chinese EFL teachers participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments used to measure teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, emotional labor strategies, and teacher resilience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between these variables.

Results

The results of the study revealed that teacher self-compassion and emotional labor strategies had direct positive effects on teacher resilience. Specifically, higher levels of self-compassion and effective use of emotional labor strategies were associated with greater teacher resilience. Furthermore, teacher emotion regulation was found to indirectly predict teacher resilience through the mediation of emotional labor strategies. This suggests that the ability to regulate emotions influences the adoption of effective emotional labor strategies, which in turn contributes to higher levels of teacher resilience.

Discussion

The findings of this study highlight the importance of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies in promoting teacher resilience in the EFL context. Interventions aimed at enhancing teacher emotional regulation skills and fostering self-compassion may have significant implications for supporting teachers in managing the demands and challenges of their profession, ultimately enhancing their resilience. These findings contribute to the understanding of factors that can promote teacher resilience and inform the development of targeted interventions in the EFL context.

Self-Compassion and Anxiety in Adolescents with and without Anxiety Disorder

Previous studies have linked self-compassion to mental health, specifically anxiety, in non-clinical adolescents, suggesting that self-compassion can be a protective factor against anxiety. This study compared the overall level of self-compassion and (un)compassionate self-responding in adolescents with and without an anxiety disorder and assessed the association between self-compassion and anxiety. This cross-sectional study included adolescents (12-19 years) with an anxiety disorder (N = 23) and a reference group (N = 28). Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results showed that overall self-compassion and uncompassionate self-responding were significantly lower and higher in the clinical than the reference group, respectively, while compassionate self-responding did not differ between groups. In the clinical group, only uncompassionate self-responding was significantly associated with higher anxiety. In the reference group, uncompassionate self-responding showed a significant positive association with anxiety, and compassionate self-responding showed a significant negative association with anxiety. Although the results suggest that low uncompassionate self-responding may buffer against anxiety, the role of compassionate and uncompassionate self-responding remains unclear. An alternative explanation is that the uncompassionate self-responding items measure the presence of psychopathology in adolescents with an anxiety disorder. More research on the construct validity of the SCS uncompassionate self-responding scale is needed.

Fear of COVID-19 and employee mental health in quarantine hotels: The role of self-compassion and psychological resilience at work

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive and unprecedented impact on the mental health of individuals worldwide. Quarantine hotel employees not only endured enormous upheavals when providing service to quarantine guests during obligatory quarantine periods, but also experienced the high mental stress that comes with the risk of exposure and contagion of themselves, their friends, and their families. This study investigated the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on mental health problems. The moderating roles of self-compassion and psychological resilience were also examined. Data was collected from 360 employees from thirteen "Alternative State Quarantine" hotels in Thailand. The results suggested that fear of COVID-19 positively influenced mental health problems. Self-compassion and psychological resilience at work buffered the detrimental impact of fear of COVID-19 on mental health. This three-way interaction demonstrated that employees with high self-compassion and high resilience coped better. The theoretical and practical implications for hospitality managers are discussed.

Academic resilience, moral perfectionism, and self-compassion among undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional, multi-center study

BACKGROUND

Academic resilience has been identified as a coping method for nursing students' educational and practice challenges. Despite the importance of academic resilience, knowledge on how to enhance academic resilience is under-researched. To suggest suitable approaches, relationships between academic resilience and other constructs need to be appraised.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate predictors of academic resilience, examining its relationships with other essential constructs: self-compassion and moral perfectionism, in undergraduate nursing students in Iran.

DESIGN

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 250 undergraduate nursing students at three universities in Iran participated in this study by completing self-report measures.

METHODS

Data collection tools were Nursing Student Academic Resilience Inventory, Moral Perfectionism scale, and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The mean and standard deviation of academic resilience were 57.57 ± 23.69; moral perfectionism 50.24 ± 9.97, and self-compassion 37.19 ± 5.02. Self-compassion had significantly related to moral perfectionism (r = 0.23, p < 0.001). Academic resilience had no statistically significant relationship with moral perfectionism (r = -0.05, p = 0.41) and self-compassion (r = -0.06, p = 0.35), but significantly affect age (r = 0.14, p = 0.03), Grade point average (r = 0.18, p < 0.001) and university of study (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). The grade point average and the university of the study predicted 33 % of the changes in academic resilience, and the greatest impact was related to the university (r = 0.56, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Adopting appropriate educational strategies and supporting the students will help improve nursing students' academic resilience and performance. Promoting self-compassion will lead to the development of nursing students' moral perfectionism.

Comparing the Mental Health of Healthcare Students: Mental Health Shame and Self-compassion in Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Nursing and Social Work Students

Poor mental health of healthcare students is a cause for concern in many universities. Though previous research has identified mental health shame and self-compassion as critical in this student group, how these variables differ across different healthcare disciplines remains to be evaluated. Healthcare students (n = 344; counselling, occupational therapy, social work and nursing) completed measures regarding these variables. MANOVA and regression analyses were performed. (1) Counselling and nursing students were more depressed than occupational therapy students; (2) nursing students were more anxious than occupational therapy and social work students; (3) occupational therapy students had more positive attitudes towards mental health than the others; and (4) nursing students worried about their own reputation associated with their family more than counselling students. Self-compassion was the strongest predictor of mental health in all groups; however, the effect sizes varied: largest in nursing and smallest in social work students. Findings will help inform effective interventions for students in each healthcare discipline.

Self Compassion Training to Increase Resilience in Inmates of Class II A Women's Prison in Pontianak

This study aims to test the effectiveness of self-compassion training to increase resilience. The training provided is based on aspects of self-compassion, namely self kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. The method used is a quasi-experimental one group pre-test post-test design. The training was attended by 15 residents of Class II A Women's Prison in Pontianak who have an age range of 18 to 56 years with the last education being elementary school to bachelor degree. Evaluation is done at the level of reaction, learning, and behavior. Quantitative data was obtained by providing a resilience scale as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) which consists of 10 items with five choices of answer from very inappropriate to very appropriate. Quantitative data were then analyzed using a paired sample t-test (t = 3,800, p = 0.002 (p < 0.05)). The conclusions of this study indicate that self-compassion training is effective in increasing resilience of the inmates at Class II A Women's Prison in Pontianak.

Psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth in adolescent survivors of earthquake: A 10-year cohort study

This 10-year cohort study explored whether individual differences in resilience during early stages post-earthquake could have diverse impacts on future PTG and whether the impacts varied by sex. 1357 Chinese adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake were assessed on their resilience at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months post-earthquake. 799 participants responded to an online survey 10 years later, and 744 of which provided useable data for subsequent analysis. Resilience trajectories were modeled using the latent class growth analysis. Linear regressions were used to test the predictive effects of different resilience trajectories on subsequent PTG. Of 744 samples (M_age=15.44, SD = 0.66 at baseline), 59.1% were females. Three trajectories of resilience were identified, including low resilience (19.8%), moderate resilience (58.7%), and high resilience (21.5%). Highly resilient participants reported greater PTG 10 years later (β = 0.12, 95%CI 0.60-6.08) after adjusting for demographic variables, earthquake exposure, negative life events, and mental health problems. Moreover, the same findings only existed in males (β = 0.22, 95%CI 1.26-11.01). Our findings highlight the importance of classifying survivors by resilience trajectories in order to better account for different implications on future PTG. Moreover, sex-specific programs are needed to provide tailored intervention.

Moderating role of compassion in the link between fear of Coronavirus disease and mental health among undergraduate students

Background

The societal challenges presented by fear related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic may present unique challenges for an individual's mental health. However, the moderating role of compassion in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental health has not been well-studied. The present study aimed to explore the association between fear of COVID-19 and mental health, as well as test the buffering role of compassion in this relationship.

Methods

The participants in this study were 325 Iranian undergraduate students (228 females), aged 18-25 years, who completed questionnaires posted on social networks via a web-based platform.

Results

The results showed that fear of COVID-19 was positively related with physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The results also showed that compassion was negatively associated with physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. The interaction-moderation analysis revealed that compassion moderated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and subscale of mental health.

Conclusion

Results highlight the important role of compassion in diminishing the effect of fear of COVID-19 on the mental health (physical symptoms, social function, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms) of undergraduate students.

Gender differences in self-compassion: a latent profile analysis of compassionate and uncompassionate self-relating in a large adolescent sample

Self-compassion, a healthy way of relating to oneself, may promote psychological resilience during adolescence. How adolescents engage with self-compassion, and whether they have distinct self-compassionate or uncompassionate psychological profiles, is unclear. This study investigated potential self-compassion profiles based on responses to the Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form (SCS-SF) and examined their relationship with a range of mental health symptoms and cognitive and emotional tendencies. A large cross-sectional sample of high school students (N = 950; Mage = 13.70 years, SDage = 0.72, range = 12 to 16 years; 434 female and 495 male) completed several online self-report measures including the SCS-SF. Latent profile analysis identified parsimonious self-compassion profiles by gender using the six SCS-SF subscales. Five female profiles included ‘Low Self-Relating’, ‘Uncompassionate’, ‘High Self-Relating’, ‘Moderately Compassionate’ and ‘Highly Compassionate’. Comparatively, two male profiles included ‘Low Self-Relating’ and ‘Moderately Self-Relating’. Low Self-Relating involved low levels of both compassionate and uncompassionate responding, and Moderately Self-Relating involved higher levels of both. Low Self-Relating and Highly Compassionate profiles for females consistently reported lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms, maladaptive perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, repetitive thinking and avoidance-fusion thinking patterns compared to the other female profiles. Low Self-Relating males reported more adaptive outcomes compared to Moderate Self-Relating males. These findings illustrate important adolescent gender differences in compassionate and uncompassionate self-response profiles. Results suggest self-compassion is an important psychological construct with diverse mental health benefits for females, whereas for males a lack of attachment to either response styles are linked with better psychological outcomes.

The Impact of Compassion from Others and Self-compassion on Psychological Distress, Flourishing, and Meaning in Life Among University Students

Objectives

Research shows that compassion from others and from the self may enable university students to face, overcome, and bounce back from adversity and generate a greater sense of thriving and meaning in life. However, the underlying processes are largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine the associations of compassion with psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life among university students and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.

Methods

A total of 536 Hong Kong university students completed questionnaires measuring their experiences of compassion from others, self-compassion, resilience, psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life.

Results

Serial mediation analyses showed that compassion from others was associated positively with self-compassion, which was, in turn, linked to greater resilience and consequently lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of flourishing and meaning in life.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal the associations of compassion from others and self-compassion with the well-being and life meaning of university students. The findings highlight the importance of being open and receptive to love and kindness from others. The findings also point to the importance of developing a caring attitude toward oneself.

The role of mindfulness and attachment security in facilitating resilience

Background

In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring ways to facilitate positive psychological dispositions, including resilience. The goal of the present study was to explore the possibility that trait mindfulness facilitates attachment security and thus enhances resilience.

Methods

We conducted two studies based on cross-sectional surveys. In Study 1, data of 207 students studying in Japan was collected. In Study 2, we used a different sample of 203 participants and different measurements to replicate the findings of Study 1.

Results

The results of Study 1 revealed that mindfulness positively predicted resilience, while attachment anxiety and avoidance were mediators between mindfulness and resilience. The results of Study 2 showed that mindfulness positively predicted resilience, and the mediating effect of attachment avoidance was significant, but the mediating effect of attachment anxiety was not significant.

Conclusions

It is possible to facilitate attachment security through cultivating trait mindfulness, and in this way, resilience could be enhanced. The effect of different components of mindfulness on attachment and resilience requires further studies.

Self-Compassion Scale for Youth: Turkish Adaptation and Exploration of the Relationship with Resilience, Depression, and Well-being

Self-compassion refers to being kind, understanding, and accepting toward oneself in times of failure, frustration, or negative feelings. Since self-compassion is related to both physical and psychological well-being, measuring and understanding self-compassion in different populations carries importance for their mental well-being and life satisfaction outcomes. One such group is the youth, who experience unique developmental challenges. For this purpose, a Self-Compassion Scale for Youth (SCS-Y) was developed (Neff et al., 2021) and this paper presents its Turkish adaptation. The Turkish translation of SCS-Y was tested on a sample of Turkish youth (N = 450, 61.8% female, M _age= 13.09 ± 1.59, range = 11-15) and was found to have acceptable reliability. The scale showed a similar structure to the original testing on American youth with a bifactor model of a general self-compassion score and six subscale scores, and a two-bifactor model where negative and positive aspects are grouped together. Self-compassion was positively related to resilience and well-being, and negatively related to depression. A serial mediation analysis showed self-compassion to have a direct and positive effect on resilience, and to have an indirect effect on well-being mediated by resilience and depression. Given that the trainable skill of self-compassion is associated with higher resilience, lower depression, and better well-being, the value of this scale and its different adaptations becomes evident, as they enable measuring self-compassion in youth in various populations such as the present Turkish one and guiding the design of future interventions to increase self-compassion, targeted for the specific concerns of the youth.

Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents: The role of self-compassion and social support

Previous studies have revealed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) create a significant and lasting effect of increased anxiety. However, few studies have examined the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of self-compassion and moderating role of social support in ACEs-anxiety relationship among Chinese adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, 1,764 middle school students completed questionnaires measuring their levels of ACEs, anxiety, self-compassion (SC), and social support. Correlations of variables were computed using Pearson's r. Mediation and moderated mediation models were tested using PROCESS macro with the regression bootstrapping method. After covariates (age and gender) were controlled, results showed that: (1) ACEs were positively associated with anxiety symptoms; (2) self-compassion partially mediated the ACEs-anxiety association; (3) both ACEs-anxiety and SC-anxiety relationships were moderated by social support. Specifically, social support was associated with lower anxiety, particularly among students with fewer ACEs or lower level of self-compassion. Reducing possible adversities existing in environment may help to reduce risk of anxiety for adolescents. Cultivating self-compassion is crucial for adolescents' mental health, since it may play a role in ACEs-anxiety relationship. Social support would operate as a buffer to ACEs in the relation with anxiety, under the circumstances of mild adversities, and a promoter to self-compassion in the relation with anxiety, under the circumstances of low self-compassion.

Psychometric Validation of the Persian Self-Compassion Scale Youth Version

Objectives

Empirical research investigating self-compassion is a rapidly developing field, and it is potentially crucial in early adolescence. The primary aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian translation of the Self-Compassion Scale Youth version (SCS-Y) and evaluate its factor structure among young adolescents. The second aim was to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the negative effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on COVID-19-related anxiety.

Methods

A sample of young students (n = 532; mean age 13.57 years) completed an online survey, which included the SCS-Y, Patient Health Questionnaire, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Youth Life Orientation Test, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief 10-Item Big Five Inventory. First-order (six-factor) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bi-factor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) analysis were used to evaluate the factor structure of the SCS-Y.

Results

Results showed that the SCS-Y had very good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.88; McDonald's omega coefficient: 0.90), composite reliability (0.87), and adequate test-retest reliability after 4 weeks (0.60). The first-order (six-factor) CFA and bi-factor ESEM analysis demonstrated the SCS-Y had excellent dimensionality. Further analysis found negative associations between self-compassion with both depression and neuroticism, and positive associations between self-compassion with both resilience and optimism. Moreover, self-compassion moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and anxiety generated by the COVID-19. Overall, the findings indicated that the SCS-Y had acceptable criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

Conclusions

The findings provide evidence that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the six factors of self-compassion among younger adolescents. Based on the study's findings, self-compassion appears to be a protective factor against mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic for younger adolescents.

Improving Mental Health Among Transgender Adolescents: Implementing Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of an online self-compassion intervention for transgender adolescents, with the aim of improving mental health. Participants identified as transgender or gender expansive, were between the ages of 13 and 17, and lived in the U.S. or Canada. The empirically-based self-compassion program, Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (formerly Making Friends with Yourself) was implemented in eight 1.5 hour sessions on the Zoom platform by two trained instructors. Surveys were administered pre-, post-intervention, and at 3 months follow-up, and qualitative data were collected through end-of-program interviews and open-ended questions on the post-survey. All protocols were approved by the university IRB. Quantitative data analysis included repeated measures ANOVAs, and qualitative data were analyzed via both inductive and deductive methods. Results indicated that all but one psychosocial measure significantly improved from pre- to post-intervention, which then significantly improved at 3-month follow-up; most other improvements were maintained at follow-up. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: virtual safe space; connection to body; personal growth; and recommended course changes and are discussed. Results suggest that self-compassion interventions can be incorporated into therapy programs to support and improve mental health for transgender adolescents.

Self-compassion and resilience mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and posttraumatic growth/stress disorder during COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Studies have indicated that childhood exposure to domestic violence is a common factor in posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it is unclear whether PTG and PTSD share a common/different underlying mechanism.

AIM

To explore the common/different underlying mechanism of PTG and PTSD.

METHODS

Between February 12 and 17, 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China among 2038 university students, and a self-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data included demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, and subjective social economic status, and childhood exposure to domestic violence scale that was selected from the Chinese version of revised Adverse Childhood Experiences Question, Self-compassion Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Abbreviated PTSD Checklist-Civilian version. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses.

RESULTS

Exposure to domestic violence was significantly associated with PTG and PTSD via a 1-step indirect path of self-compassion (PTG: β = -0.023, 95%CI: -0.44 to -0.007; PTSD: β = 0.008, 95%CI: 0.002, 0.014) and via a 2-step indirect path from self-compassion to resilience (PTG: β = -0.008, 95%CI: -0.018 to -0.002; PTSD: β = 0.013, 95%CI: 0.004-0.024). However, resilience did not mediate the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and PTG and PTSD.

CONCLUSION

PTG and PTSD are common results of childhood exposure to domestic violence, which may be influenced by self-compassion and resilience.

Concepts of Resilience in Adolescent Mental Health Research

PURPOSE

Strengthening the resilience of adolescents is central to promoting long-term mental health outcomes, but resilience is a widely used term, often applied in different ways. We explored how resilience is understood in the adolescent mental health literature and developed a framework that synthesizes the core characteristics of different resilience concepts.

METHODS

Systematic searches of electronic databases, hand searches of reference lists and known work on resilience, and multidisciplinary team discussions were employed, and articles with explicit conceptualizations of resilience in adolescent mental health literature were included. After screening 9,562 articles, 105 articles were retained, analyzed and used to refine a framework.

RESULTS

Three dimensions capture the various concepts of resilience, each with two end points: (1) resilience as withstanding adversity without any distress versus overcoming the distress resulting from adversity; (2) resilience as an existing trait versus as a process over time; and (3) resilience of individuals versus resilience of groups.

CONCLUSION

Concepts of resilience in adolescence can be clearly categorized within three distinct dimensions. Referring to this framework may help to clarify and compare different concepts of resilience of adolescents in mental health research as well as at a policy level and in clinical contexts.

Self-Compassion in Irish Social Work Students: Relationships between Resilience, Engagement and Motivation

Self-compassion recognises a meaning of life’s suffering, aligning with existential positive psychology. Although this construct is known to protect our mental health, how to augment self-compassion remains to be evaluated. Social work students suffer from high rates of mental health problems; however, research into self-compassion in this population remains to be developed. This study aimed to evaluate (i) relationships between self-compassion and more traditional positive constructs—resilience, engagement and motivation, and (ii) differences of these constructs between the levels of studies to inform how self-compassion can be enhanced in social work students. A total of 129 Irish social work students completed self-report scales regarding self-compassion, resilience, engagement and motivation. Correlation, regression and one-way MANOVA were conducted. Self-compassion was associated with gender, age, resilience, engagement and intrinsic motivation. Resilience and intrinsic motivation were significant predictors of self-compassion. There was no significant difference in the levels of these constructs between the levels of studies. Findings suggest that social work educators across different levels can strengthen students’ resilience and intrinsic motivation to cultivate the students’ self-compassion. Moreover, the close relationships between self-compassion, resilience and intrinsic motivation indicate that orienting students to the meaning of the studies helps their mental health.

Symptom centrality and infrequency of endorsement identify adolescent depression symptoms more strongly associated with life satisfaction

Although depression symptoms are often treated as interchangeable, some symptoms may relate to adolescent life satisfaction more strongly than others. To assess this premise, we first conducted a network analysis on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) in a large (N = 1,059), cross-sectional sample of community adolescents (age M = 14.72 ± 1.79). The most central symptoms of adolescent depression, as indexed by strength, were self-hatred, loneliness, sadness, and worthlessness while the least frequently endorsed symptoms were self-hatred, anhedonia, feeling like a bad person, and feeling unloved. Moreover, the more central a depression symptom was in the network (i.e., higher strength), the more variance it shared with life satisfaction (r = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.76). How frequently a symptom was endorsed was negatively associated with the variance symptoms shared with life satisfaction (r = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.21). Cross-validated, prediction focused models found central symptoms were expected to predict more out of fold variance in life satisfaction than peripheral symptoms and frequently endorsed symptoms, but not the least frequently endorsed symptoms. These findings show certain depression symptoms may be more strongly associated with life satisfaction in adolescence and these symptoms can be identified by multiple symptom-level metrics. Limitations include use of cross-sectional data and utilizing a community sample. Better understanding which symptoms of depression share more variance with important outcomes like life satisfaction could help us develop a more fine-grained understanding of adolescent depression.

Stress, self-compassion, and school burnout in Thai high school students

Objectives High school has been recognized as a critical period for many students. With the upcoming competition for university admission, they tend to encounter significant stress. Exceeding its optimal level, stress became debilitating and could escalate into school burnout, which entailed various negative outcomes. The current study, hence, was aimed to identify a protective factor that helped mediate the relationship between stress and school burnout in Thai high school students. Self-compassion was selected here, given its relevant conceptual grounds and its cultural relevance (i.e., Thai individuals shown to be particularly oriented toward self-compassion). Methods Data were collected from 170 Thai high school students, who responded to measures of stress, self-compassion, and school burnout. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypothetical model where the positive association between stress and school burnout was mediated by self-compassion. Results All indices of the model fits were confirmed, and the proposed model explained 80% of the variance in school burnout. Conclusion The role of self-compassion in alleviating the impact of stress on school burnout was shown and relevant implications were discussed.

Psychometric validity of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scale for Adolescents: a Swedish version

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence that compassion is linked to mental health and well-being while difficulties in receiving and expressing compassion to self and others is associated with mental health and social difficulties. For the most part the self-report scales that measure these processes have been developed for adults and little is known how they function in adolescents. This study investigates a Swedish adaption for adolescents of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS), developed by Gilbert et al. (2017) for adults. This assesses different competencies associated with being compassionate to others, the experience receiving compassion from others, and being compassionate with one-self.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the psychometric properties and gender differences of CEAS for Youths - Swedish version (CEASY-SE), in a school-sample of adolescents (n = 316) aged 15-20 years.

METHOD

The Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales were translated into Swedish. A back-translation method was used. It was then adapted for adolescents with age-appropriate language. Adolescents were recruited by research assistants at two public high schools.

RESULTS

After removing one item of each subscale, the dimensionalities of the three scales were good. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that engagement and action constituted different dimensions in each scale. Internal consistency was good to excellent in all three sub-scales (α from 0.74 to 0.92). Intra Class Correlations demonstrated good to excellent test-retest reliability over a period of three weeks (0.67 to 0.85). Convergent and divergent validity were as expected, except for Compassion for others, which did not correlate with anxiety and depression symptoms as expected. Girls showed less self-compassion compared to boys and more compassion for others.

CONCLUSIONS

Present study suggests that CEASY-SE has good to excellent psychometric properties and further study is needed for more definite establishment of the psychometric properties. Girls and boys have different patterns of compassion.

Development and Validation of the Self-Compassion Scale for Youth

We present a series of studies on the development and validation of the Self-Compassion Scale-Youth version (SCS-Y), which is intended for use with early adolescents in middle school. Study 1 (N = 279, M_age = 12.17) describes the selection of 17 items out of a pool of 36 potential items, with three items each representing the subscales of self-kindness, mindfulness, common humanity, self-judgment, isolation, and two items representing over-identification. Using state-of-the-art psychometric analyses ideal for examining multidimensional constructs like self-compassion-bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (bifactor-ESEM)-findings supported the use of a general self-compassion score and six subscale scores. Study 2 cross-validated the factor structure of the SCS-Y with a second sample of youths (N = 402, M_age = 12.43). Study 3 found support for the test-retest reliability of the SCS-Y (N = 102, M_age = 12.52). Study 4 (N = 212, M_age = 12.18) established construct validity for the SCS-Y by demonstrating that SCS-Y scores were significantly associated with mindfulness, happiness, life-satisfaction, depression, resilience, and achievement goal orientation in expected directions. Overall, findings suggest that the SCS-Y is a reliable and valid measure of self-compassion for use with youths.

Adolescent Self-Compassion Moderates the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Internalizing Symptoms

INTRODUCTION

Self-compassion, a trait that involves responding to one's difficulties with care and concern, may offer unique stress coping benefits during the challenges of adolescence.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used survey data from a large adolescent sample within two U.S. school settings (N=1,057; 65% female; 68% white; mean age 14.7 years) to examine whether self-compassion buffers the impact of perceived stress on internalizing symptoms, and secondarily, if these relationships differ by gender.

RESULTS

Regression analysis revealed self-compassion is inversely related to internalizing symptoms. Moreover, the relationship between stress and depression and anxiety symptoms differed by level of self-compassion. This moderation effect was similar between genders for depressive symptoms, but slightly greater in males compared to females for anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

These results add to our understanding of self-compassion as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy with potential benefits for youth experiencing stress. Further research is needed to confirm if moderation effects for anxiety differ by gender.