The influence of self-compassion on emotional well-being among early and older adolescent males and females

Prevalence of major depressive disorder and its determinants among young married women and unmarried girls: Findings from the second round of UDAYA survey

INTRODUCTION

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating mental illness affecting young women worldwide. This study aimed to identify psychosocial determinants of major depressive disorder (MDD) among young women in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India.

METHODS

Data from "Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults" (UDAYA) study (2018-19) for young women aged 12-23 years, both married and unmarried was used for this paper. MDD was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 with a cut-off score of ≤10. The determinants of MDD were identified through multilevel binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MDD was 13.6% (95% CL 12.2-15.2) and 5.1% (95% CL 4.2-6.1) for young married women and unmarried girls, respectively. Among the young married women, community-level variables like dowry-related humiliation (1.74, 95% CI 1.15-2.64), and sexual assaults (2.15, 95% CI 1.24-3.73) were significantly associated with MDD. For unmarried girls, reporting of family violence <10% of participants (0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.85), family violence (≥10% of participants) % (0.35 95% CI 0.19-0.68) and interpartner violence (>25% of participants) (0.42; 95% CI 0.23-0.74) remain significant predictors of MDD. At individual level, for both the groups, age, participation in decision making (on education), social capital (currently attending school/educational course and number of friends), self-efficacy, telephonic harassment, and physical activity were associated with MDD. Wealth index, job seeking, participation in decision making (on health-seeking), parental interactions and physical abuse (for unmarried girls only) and education, reported last sexual intercourse, pressure from the in-laws' to conceive (for young married women only) were associated with MDD.

CONCLUSIONS

For young married women, community level targeted interventions should focus on the social ecology to foster a sense of safe community environment. For unmarried girls, additionally, interventions should aim to optimize their family environment for effective mental health outcomes.

Identifying patterns of multidimensional self-compassion in Chinese young adults: implications for longitudinal mental health outcomes during the pandemic

BACKGROUND

Self-compassion (SC), reflecting self-attitude and self-connectedness, has proven to be a modifiable factor in promoting mental health outcomes. Increasingly, SC is recognized as a multidimensional construct consisting of six dimensions, rather than a single dimension.

OBJECTIVES

First, this study adopted a person-centered approach to explore profiles of SC dimensions in Chinese young adults. Second, the study examined the predictive effects of SC profiles on mental health outcomes.

METHODS

In February 2020, young adults (N = 1164) were invited to complete the 26-item Neff's Self-Compassion Scale online. Three months later, the same subjects (N = 1099) reported their levels of depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and posttraumatic growth (PTG).

RESULTS

After controlling for retrospective ACEs, four classes best characterized the profiles: self-compassionate (26.7%, N = 294), self-uncompassionate (12.3%, N = 135), average (55.9%, N = 614), and detached groups (5.1%, N = 56). Young adults in the self-compassionate group adjusted the best (with the highest level of PTG and the lowest levels of depressive and PTSD symptoms). Adults in the self-uncompassionate group demonstrated the poorest mental health outcomes (with the lowest level of PTG and the highest levels of depressive and PTSD symptoms). Young adults in the average group obtained more PTG than adults in the detached group (p < .01), but did not differ significantly in depressive and PTSD symptoms (p > .05).

CONCLUSION

The compassionate profile is the most adaptable for young adults among all groups. This study highlights the limitations of representing the relative balance of SC with a composite score.

A parental burnout modelling based on perfectionism mediated through self-compassion in parents of students suffering from specific learning behavioral disorder

The association between parental burnout and perfectionism, and whether and to what extent it is mediated by self-compassion, in case of mothers of children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) were rarely investigated in the related literature. To fill the gap felt, the present study aimed at providing a model for self-compassion, parental burnout, and perfectionism. The participants were 305 mothers of children with SLD, from Hamedan province, Iran, who had been referred to the relevant treatment centers between 2020 and 2021. Selected through convenience sampling, they took part in the study by completing three questionnaires, i.e., Parental Burnout Assessment (Roskam et al., 2018), Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt & Flett, 1991), and Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003). To fit the model, structural equation modelling was conducted in Amos v24 software. It was found that self-compassion mediates the negative relationship between parental burnout and perfectionism. It can be concluded that women during motherhood become emotionally vulnerable and are susceptible to face psychological challenges and such challenges can be exacerbated in the case of mothers of children with SLD or other learning disabilities.

From cross-lagged effects to feedback effects: Further insights into the estimation and interpretation of bidirectional relations

Bidirectional relations have long been of interest in psychology and other social behavioral sciences. In recent years, the widespread use of intensive longitudinal data has provided new opportunities to examine dynamic bidirectional relations between variables. However, most previous studies have focused on the effect of one variable on the other (i.e., cross-lagged effects) rather than the overall effect representing the dynamic interplay between two variables (i.e., feedback effects), which we believe may be due to a lack of relevant methodological guidance. To quantify bidirectional relations as a whole, this study attempted to provide guidance for the estimation and interpretation of feedback effects based on dynamic structural equation models. First, we illustrated the estimation procedure for the average and person-specific feedback effects. Then, to facilitate the interpretation of feedback effects, we established an empirical benchmark by quantitatively synthesizing the results of relevant empirical studies. Finally, we used a set of empirical data to demonstrate how feedback effects can help (a) test theories based on bidirectional relations and (b) reveal correlates of individual differences in bidirectional relations. We also discussed the broad application prospects of feedback effects from a dynamic systems perspective. This study provides guidance for applied researchers interested in further examining feedback effects in bidirectional relations, and the shift from focusing on cross-lagged effects only to a comprehensive consideration of feedback effects may provide new insights into the study of bidirectional relations.

The Equality Paradox: Gender Equality Intensifies Male Advantages in Adolescent Subjective Well-Being

Individuals' subjective well-being (SWB) is an important marker of development and social progress. As psychological health issues often begin during adolescence, understanding the factors that enhance SWB among adolescents is critical to devising preventive interventions. However, little is known about how institutional contexts contribute to adolescent SWB. Using Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 and 2018 data from 78 countries (N = 941,475), we find that gender gaps in adolescents' SWB (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) are larger in more gender-equal countries. Results paradoxically indicated that gender equality enhances boys' but not girls' SWB, suggesting that greater gender equality may facilitate social comparisons across genders. This may lead to an increased awareness of discrimination against females and consequently lower girls' SWB, diluting the overall benefits of gender equality. These findings underscore the need for researchers and policy-makers to better understand macro-level factors, beyond objective gender equality, that support girls' SWB.

Psychological distress in infertile women: the role of quality of marital relationships and self-compassion

Infertility is a common disease. At least 10-15% of women deal with infertility in some way. Infertile women suffer from a higher degree of psychological distress compared to fertile women. This study aims to identify the role of the quality of marital relationships and self-compassion in psychological distress in infertile women. The participants were 400 women who were referred to fertility clinics in Iran over a two-year period. Questionnaires containing Demographic Questionnaire, Psychological Distress Scale (DASS), Marital Quality Scale (MQS) and Self-Compassion Scale (MCS). The results showed that predictor variables explain a total of 29.9% of the variance of psychological distress in infertile women. The quality of marital relationships (p  =  0.001 and β  =  -0.49) and self-compassion (p < 0.05 and β  =  -0.08) can negatively predict the psychological distress of infertile women. Considering that the significant role of the quality of marital relationships and self-compassion in the psychological distress of infertile women has been confirmed; therefore, interventions that focus on the quality of marital relationships and self-compassion may be effective and should be used as a resource to combat psychological distress in infertile women.

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.

Self-Compassion, Work Engagement and Job Performance among Intensive Care Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediation Role of Mental Health and the Moderating Role of Gender

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted attention on the importance of certain variables in predicting job performance. Among these, mental health is one of the main variables affected by this pandemic. It can have an important mediating role in predicting job performance by individual, occupational, and organizational variables, especially in the nursing community. However, there is little information about its mediation role among the predictors of job performance. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the role of mental health as a mediating factor in the influence of self-compassion and work engagement on ICU nurses' job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the moderating effect of gender on all model relations. A survey of 424 ICU nurses (men 193 and women 231) was undertaken in three Coronavirus hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. (2) Method: Questionnaires were distributed and collected among the statistical sample, and the data from the questionnaires were analyzed using AMOS24 software (version 24). The research model was evaluated in two stages (the main model and the two sub-models in two gender groups). (3) Result: The analysis revealed that work engagement (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), mental health (β = 0.54, p < 0.001) and job performance (β = 0.51, p < 0.001) were discovered to be positively related to self-compassion. Work engagement is positively associated with mental health (β = 0.16, p < 0.01) and job performance (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), and mental health is linked positively to job performance (β = 0.23, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the effects of self-compassion and work engagement on job performance are mediated by mental health. According to the findings, gender moderates the link between self-compassion and work engagement, work engagement and job performance, and self-compassion and job performance. (4) Conclusion: Mental health has a mediating role in the effect of self-compassion and work engagement on ICU nurses' job performance. Gender also acted as a moderator in some relationships. Males are dominant in all of these relationships as compared to females.

What Can Help Students Cope with COVID-19? The Contribution of Psychological Capital, Selfcompassion, and Spirituality to Subjective Well-being

Objectives: In this research, we examined the academic and psychological coping of post-secondary students during the early stages of COVID-19. The main goal was to investigate correlations involving self- compassion, spirituality, psychological capital, and subjective well-being, and evaluate the mediating role of self-compassion and spirituality in the relationship between psychological capital and subjective well-being.Methods: We had 257 participants (ages 19-59) complete 5 questionnaires: demographic and academic information, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Subjective Well-Being Index, Spiritual Intelligence Self- Assessment Inventory, and Self-Compassion Index. Results: We found a strong positive correlation between psychological capital, self-compassion, and subjective well-being. However, spirituality failed to show statistically significant correlations with self-compassion and subjective well-being, with only weak correlations with psychological capital. Self-compassion positively mediated the relationship between psychological capital and subjective well-being, but not spirituality. Conclusion: These findings indicate the role of positive psychological resources of post-secondary students in coping with a difficult situation like COVID-19.

Warm and Harsh Parenting, Self-Kindness and Self-Judgment, and Well-Being: An Examination of Developmental Differences in a Large Sample of Adolescents

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the associations between warm and harsh parenting and adolescent well-being, and the mediating effects of self-kindness and self-judgment, in relationships. Moreover, this study investigated developmental differences across three adolescence stages (early, middle, and late). Methods: In total, 14,776 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.53 ± 2.08, 52.3% males), including individuals in early (10-12 years old, N = 5055), middle (13-15 years old, N = 6714), and late adolescence (16-18 years old, N = 3007) participated in this study. All the adolescents rated their levels of warm and harsh parenting, self-kindness and self-judgment, and well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to examine the mediation model. Multi-group analysis was conducted to investigate differences in the mediation model across the different developmental stages. Results: Both warm and harsh parenting were related to adolescent well-being through the mediating effects of self-kindness and self-judgment. However, warm parenting exerted a more substantial impact on adolescent well-being. Self-kindness had a more robust mediating effect than self-judgment in relationships. Moreover, harsh parenting had a weaker impact on adolescent well-being in late adolescence than in early and middle adolescence. Warm parenting had a more significant impact on adolescent well-being in early adolescence than in middle and late adolescence. Conclusions: Overall, warm parenting had a more substantial effect than harsh parenting on adolescent well-being. The findings also highlighted the crucial mediating effect of self-kindness in the relationships between parenting and well-being. Moreover, this study also indicated the importance of warm parenting in early adolescence. Intervention programs should focus on enhancing the level of warm parenting to promote self-kindness in adolescents, in order to improve their well-being.

Dispositional mindfulness and mental health among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 lockdown: The mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of gender

College students' mental health has been seriously impacted during the global COVID-19 lockdown. There is evidence that dispositional mindfulness is beneficial to mental health. However, few studies have looked at the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and mental health from the standpoint of self-compassion. Furthermore, it is unclear under what circumstances dispositional mindfulness is linked to mental health during COVID-19 lockdown. To fill this gap, the current study investigated self-compassion as a possible mediating factor and gender as a possible moderating effect between dispositional mindfulness and mental health. The sample included 1,018 Chinese university students during the COVID-19 lockdown (M age = 20.12; SD age = 1.17) who had completed self-report questionnaires on dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental health. According to the findings of mediation analysis, self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and mental health. The moderating analysis also revealed significant moderating effects of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental health. Male college students' mental health was significantly better protected, and the buffering effects of dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion on their mental health were significantly stronger than those of female college students. These findings advance our understanding of the process and mechanism between dispositional mindfulness and mental health, broadened and deepened the understanding of the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and mental health, as well as the mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of gender, and offer practical guidance for improving college students' mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The importance of compassion and respectful care for the health workforce: a mixed-methods study

Background

Compassionate and respectful care (CRC) is an essential element for health care providers (HCPs), which builds a positive environment and intimacy among health care professionals, patients, and families. However, there is a lack of studies examining the prevalence of and factors associated with compassionate and respectful care practice in low-resource countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the practice of compassionate and respectful care and its associated factors among the health workforce (HWF).

Methods

This mixed-methods study was conducted through quantitative and qualitative data collection from April to May 2019 in North Shewa Zone health care facilities (NSHFs). For quantitative analysis, participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Participants for qualitative analysis were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data entries were made by EpiData version 3.2 and exported to SPSS version 23 software for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associated factors. Thematic analysis was carried out for qualitative data.

Results

A total of 392 HWF responded to a self-administered survey, and 72 participants participated in focus group discussions (FGDs). Four categories of themes emerged: definition/knowledge, barriers, benefit, and leadership will. The prevalence of compassionate and respectful care practices was 38.8% and 46.2%, respectively. Female gender, health officer role, having a monthly salary equal to or greater than 5000 Ethiopian birr, and a positive attitude were significantly associated with compassionate care practice. The age category of 30-39, positive attitude, and ensuring a safe and clean care environment were significantly associated with respectful care practice.

Conclusion

Compassionate and respectful care among HWF requires an actual demonstration of humanity and kindness to promote person-centered practice for their clients. Therefore, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health should emphasize CRC continuity by including it in the health care curriculum, improving the health care ethics skill gap, designing appropriate policy to reduce workload, and promoting patient rights.

The influence of self-compassion on mental health of postgraduates: Mediating role of help-seeking behavior

This study explores the relationship between self-compassion and mental health of postgraduates based on the perspective of the dual-factor model (DFM) of mental health and the mediating role of help-seeking behavior. A total of 605 postgraduates were investigated with a questionnaire. The results showed that the DFM of mental health was better than the one-factor model for the mental health status of postgraduates. Among them, those with complete mental health accounted for the highest proportion (63.3%), followed by vulnerable (25.1%), troubled (9.1%), and symptomatic but content (2.5%). Self-compassion and non-professional help-seeking behavior had a positive predictive effect on positive mental health factors of the postgraduates, while self-compassion had a negative predictive effect on their psychological symptoms. Non-professional help-seeking behavior played a partial mediating role between self-compassion and positive mental health factors.

Latent profiles of multi-dimensionality of self-compassion predict youth psychological adjustment outcomes during the COVID-19: A longitudinal mixture regression analysis

The multi-dimensionality of self-compassion and its influence on college students' adjustments have not been widely examined during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aims to explore profiles of self-compassion dimensions in Chinese college students and examine the predictive effects of different profiles on students' adjustment outcomes. A longitudinal online survey of college students was conducted in mainland China. In May of 2020, college students (N = 1361) completed Neff's Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form during the home quarantine period. Six months after the baseline assessment, students (N = 717) reported their level of anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, insomnia symptoms, complex post-traumatic stress (CPTSD) symptoms, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and positive youth development (PYD). A latent profile analysis was adopted to identify profiles of self-compassion dimensions. A longitudinal regression mixture model was used to examine the predictive effects of different self-compassion profiles on college students' adjustment outcomes. Three classes best characterized the self-compassion dimensions of college students: the compassionate group (54.1%), the uncompassionate group (38.6%), and the extremely uncompassionate group (7.3%). College students in the compassionate group scored significantly higher on positive adjustment indicators (PTG and PYD), and significantly lower on negative adjustment indicators (anxiety, depression, insomnia, and CPTSD symptoms) than students in the other two groups. College students in the uncompassionate group scored significantly lower on negative indicators, and higher on PYD scores than students in the extremely uncompassionate group, but did not differ in PTG levels from students in the extremely uncompassionate group. College students in the compassionate group adjusted best across groups. The limitations that using a composite score to represent the relative balance of self-compassion dimensions were highlighted. Intervention programs need to focus on improving the level of positive self-responses in college students.

Maternal Anxiety Symptoms and Chinese Adolescents' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Adolescents' Self-Compassion

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered dramatic changes to family life. Parents, especially mothers, were found to experience more psychological distress during the pandemic, which may have had an impact on their children's mental health. The primary goal of this study was to examine the potential protective role of adolescents' self-compassion in the relationship between maternal anxiety and adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 5,720 adolescents (48.9% girls; M age = 11.60, SD age = 1.36) and their mothers from Zhengzhou city, Henan province, in Mainland China. Adolescents reported their level of self-compassion, PTSD symptoms, and negative affect during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers reported their own anxiety symptoms and their children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Results indicated that older female adolescents reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and negative affect and lower levels of self-compassion than their counterparts. Maternal anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently positively associated with adolescents' psychological maladjustment. These associations were buffered by adolescents' self-compassion. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of self-compassion were found to be less psychologically affected by their mothers' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlighted the possibility of improving adolescents' mental health through fostering their self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship between Direct and Relational Bullying and Emotional Well-being among Adolescents: The role of Self-compassion

The objectives of the present study were, first, to analyze the impact of direct and relational bullying on emotional well-being, and second to study if self-compassion could foster emotional well-being among those who suffer bullying. A sample composed of 433 adolescents (Mage = 13.28; SD = .72) answered two measures of direct and relational bullying based on the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The results showed that being a victim of either relational or direct bullying was associated with lower scores in positive affect and negative affect, while direct bullying was only associated with negative affect. Self-compassion was a strong predictor of emotional well-being, and self-compassion was a partial mediator between being a victim of bullying (either relational or direct) and negative affect. This research adds evidence that self-compassion may be an important component in prevention and intervention programs with victims of bullying.

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.

Self-Compassion and Empathy as Predictors of Happiness among Late Adolescents

Happiness is a fundamental characteristic of life, helping individuals to become healthy and productive members of society. Pakistan has been ranked as the 67th happiest country out of 156 countries in the world. Self-compassion (SC) and empathy are considered some of the finest emotions and moral values of human beings leading to a happier life. This is the first study in South Asia that examined self-compassion as a moderator between empathy and happiness. Furthermore, we also determined self-compassion and empathy as predictors of happiness among late adolescents. Data collected from 566 students, selected randomly from different educational institutions in Lahore, suggested that self-compassion (r = 0.273) and empathy (r = 0.131) had a significant positive relationship with happiness. Self-compassion and empathy both significantly predicted happiness. Male adolescents had slightly higher self-compassion and mindfulness than females. Self-compassion (F (3, 562) = 29.74, p = 0.000) was found to significantly moderate the relationship between empathy and happiness. Self-compassion can be highly beneficial to relate to oneself, specifically for adolescents who are involved in developing their identities and self-worth, and it makes their transition from adolescence to adulthood easy.

Experiences and perspectives of self-compassion from young adult children of parents with mental illness

INTRODUCTION

In adolescents and young adults, self-compassion has been positively associated with wellbeing and negatively associated with psychological distress. One population of youth who may draw particular benefit from self-compassion are those who have parents with mental illness. This qualitative study explored the perspectives and experiences of self-compassion among a group of young adult children of parents with mental illness.

METHODS

A purposive sample of ten Australian emerging adults aged 18-25 years (3 men, 6 women and 1 non-binary person) participated in individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to examine and interpret participants' experiences and perspectives of self-compassion.

RESULTS

Participants described self-compassion as personally relevant and beneficial, although difficult to engage in. Some participants had learnt about, and actively practiced self-compassion, and offered advice for others. Conversely, others described self-compassion as difficult to practice and outlined barriers to self-compassion, from society and family life. Although participants identified common negative social conceptions of self-compassion, they articulated how self-compassion could be valuable for those who have parents with mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate the perceived importance of self-compassion along with barriers and facilitators of self-compassion for young adults who have parents with a mental illness. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are presented.

Examining the Exercise and Self-Esteem Model Revised with Self-Compassion among Hong Kong Secondary School Students Using Structural Equation Modeling

The association between physical activity in achieving mental health benefits and subjective well-being is consistently identified by empirical research. The causation of a positive self-concept created by physical exercise is empirically supported by Sonstroem and Morgan's (1988) exercise and self-esteem model (EXSEM). However, various drawbacks of maintaining high self-esteem have been identified; thus, the concept of self-compassion was conjectured to be a form of "true self-esteem." Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion by examining the exercise and self-esteem model revised with self-compassion (EXSEM-SC). This study recruited secondary school students from Hong Kong using convenience sampling. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, including path analysis and multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling, were used to reveal the results of the study. The results (n = 1097) indicated that the relationship between physical activity and self-compassion could be demonstrated by the EXSEM-SC, with a satisfactory goodness-of-fit index in the SEMs. The SEM also demonstrated the direct paths from physical activity to self-compassion and mental well-being, indicating the significant effect of physical activity on self-compassion.

Meta-analytic review on the differential effects of self-compassion components on well-being and psychological distress: The moderating role of dialecticism on self-compassion

Although self-compassion has been extensively studied in the recent decades, the representation of self-compassion as a unitary measure or the presence of self-warmth (i.e., presence of the positive components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) and self-coldness (i.e., presence of the negative components: self-judgment, isolation, and mindfulness) remains controversial. Moreover, the differential effects of the six components of self-compassion on mental well-being and psychological distress have not been systematically investigated. To synthesize the differential effects of the six components of self-compassion and to examine how people in different cultures may associate the positive and negative components of self-compassion differentially, the present meta-analysis synthesized 183 effect sizes across 27 cultures. Results showed that the negative components of self-compassion (rs = 0.44 to 0.45) showed greater effect sizes with psychological distress than the positive counterparts (rs = -0.17 to -0.29) whereas the positive components of SCS (rs = 0.29 to.39) showed greater effect sizes with mental well-being than the negative counterparts (rs = -0.29 to -0.36), with the exception of common humanity and isolation (r = 0.29 and - 0.36). Cultural orientation of dialecticism moderated the association between the positive and the negative components of self-compassion, with dialectical cultures showing lower associations between the two opposing components. Findings have implications on the design and implementation of self-compassion interventions cross-culturally.

Mindful BALANCE (breathe act learn about 'now' care everyday): A pilot project for depressed female adolescents

PROBLEM

Major depressive episodes in adolescent females have increased during the past decade, placing them at risk to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, unsafe thoughts, suicidal ideation, and lethal actions. Mindfulness, a tool for stress management, is underutilized.

METHODS

Mindful BALANCE (Breathe Act Learn About 'Now' Care Everyday), a group therapy pilot program introduced a variety of mindfulness activities. The extended mindfulness followed the Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE), a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Building (CBSB) Healthy Lifestyle program. The pilot program was offered in an outpatient mental health department for 7 weeks.

FINDINGS

Mindful BALANCE is a feasible program as an adjunct to individualized psychotherapy. Six subjects engaged without absence with a completion rate of 83%. Six subjects had pre- and post-scores for depression and anxiety decrease. Mindfulness practice was reported to decrease the perception of stress.

CONCLUSION

Mindful BALANCE decreased perceived depression and anxiety symptoms while positively impacting healthy activities in adolescent females. Further research is necessary to readdress feasibility and extended mindfulness components in improving global well-being and diminishing suicide risk.

The Relationship between Family Harmony with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Adolescents

Introduction: Adolescents are a group vulnerable to mental health problems, including stress, anxiety, and depression. This study aimed to examine the interlink of a harmonious family with stress, anxiety, and depression in adolescents.Methods: This study employed descriptive correlational design with cross-sectional approach and examined 851 high school adolescents aged between 16-18 years who were recruited using a total sampling method from five high school in Malang City. Stress, anxiety and depression in adolescents was assessed employing the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS - 21), while, to assess family harmony, a questionnaire   developed by the researcher was used. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and bivariate tests using Spearman Rank Correlation.Results: It was revealed that 428 adolescents (50.3%) were male, 321 adolescents (37.7%) came from parents who worked privately, and 482 adolescents (56.6%) had their parents' social status above the minimum wage standard. Eight hundred and two adolescents (94.2%) had harmonious families, while the remaining 49 adolescents (5.8%) had non-harmonious families. Our study concluded that family harmony had a significant relationship with adolescent stress levels (p-value 0.013). On the other hand, the analysis showed that family harmony was not related to adolescents' anxiety (p-value 0.071) and depression level (p-value 0.13). A harmonious family makes children mentally healthy, able to adapt to the environment while a family that is not harmonious can trigger stress because conditions are not as expected, coupled with the burden of schoolwork, stressors from teachers and peers.Conclusion:The results of the research showed that harmony in the family had a significant effect on stress in adolescents. Therefore, it is necessary to provide education and counseling to the family to prevent fights in the family so that it can reduce the emergence of stress in adolescents.

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.

Is parents' education level associated with adolescent self-compassion?

Self-compassion has been identified as a trait that correlates with robust mental health; specifically, less anxiety, depression and stress in both adolescents and adults. However, little is known about the parental and family factors that are associated with adolescent self-compassion that may promote or enhance the development of this stress-buffering trait. In this study, 1057 adolescents in grades 7-12 from two different school settings answered questions in an online survey that related to their parents' education level and their own self-compassion. Results indicated that fathers' education, but not mothers', was associated with adolescent self-compassion. Specifically, adolescents whose fathers had a college education only had the highest level of self-compassion; a significant difference was found between self-compassion of adolescents of fathers' with a college degree and those with a doctorate/professional degree. Adolescents whose fathers had less than a college education (some college, high school graduate) or more than a college education (masters or doctorate/professional degree) reported lower self-compassion. As parent education level may be a proxy for other factors such as socioeconomic status, parenting style, or parent-adolescent relationship closeness, further research is necessary that will measure these factors and parse out that which specifically is associated with self-compassion in adolescents.

The Self-Compassion Scale Arabic version for baccalaureate nursing students: A validation study

BACKGROUND

The Self-Compassion Scale is an extensively used tool to measure self-compassion among different groups of population, including nurses. The tool has been translated and tested for its psychometric properties in previous studies. Assessing self-compassion among Saudi nursing students is critical as self-compassion is suggested to create a positive effect on one's wellbeing, coping, emotions, and other personal outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This study determined the validity and reliability of the Self-Compassion Scale Arabic version (SCS-A) for nursing students. It also identified the demographic factors associated with the students' self-compassion.

DESIGN

A quantitative, cross-sectional design.

SETTINGS

The investigation was carried-out in two government universities in Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 322 Saudi nursing students in the 2nd to 4th year, as well as nurse interns was surveyed (mean age = 21.27, range = 18-27).

METHODS

The Self-Compassion Scale was culturally adapted to come up with the SCS-A. Content validity was established. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to establish the construct validity; whereas for reliability, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were established. Pearson's product correlation, t-test, and One-way Analysis of Variance were used to examine the demographic factors associated with self-compassion, accordingly.

RESULTS

A panel of experts rated content validity as excellent. The EFA revealed six dimensions namely "self-judgment," "self-kindness," "common humanity," "mindfulness," "isolation," and "over-identification", with total variance of 64.1%. Cronbach's alpha values for the six factors were from 0.76 to 0.85, with an overall α of the whole scale at 0.86. Computation revealed ICC values ranging from 0.84 to 0.92, whereas the ICC for the entire SCS-A was 0.81.

CONCLUSION

SCS-A shown satisfactory validity as well as good reliability. SCS-A can be used to collect baseline data on self-compassion, which could be used in developing policies in the universities and training hospitals to ensure that nurse interns and nursing students have compassion toward self. The study also opens opportunities for multi-country and cross-cultural studies on self-compassion among nursing students.

The relationship of self-compassion and hope with quality of life for individuals with bleeding disorders

INTRODUCTION

Minimal research has been conducted examining the relationship of positive psychology variables with quality of life (QOL) for individuals with bleeding disorders. While many individuals manage their bleeding disorders well, some are at higher risk of developing psychosocial complications due to the daily stressors of managing illness-related symptoms.

AIM

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationships between two positive psychology variables, self-compassion and hope and QOL (overall, psychosocial and physical) among individuals diagnosed with bleeding disorders.

METHODS

Participants completed a survey identifying demographic information as well as rating scales of self-compassion, hope and quality of life. We conducted Pearson correlational and standard multiple regression analyses to explore the bivariate and linear relationships between the aforementioned variables in a sample of 86 patients with bleeding disorders between the ages of 15 and 65.

RESULTS

Self-compassion and hope were significantly related to QOL. Together, self-compassion and hope were predictive of overall QOL, psychosocial QOL and physical QOL. However, hope was the only individual predictor of all three QOL dimensions.

CONCLUSION

Due to the significant relationships found between self-compassion, hope and QOL in this sample, it may be beneficial to incorporate positive psychology factors into the treatment of those diagnosed with bleeding disorders, especially those at higher risk for decreased QOL.

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.

Effect of process recording and self-compassion on self-focus: A pre-post interventional pilot study

Research Problem/aim: This study examined whether process recording increases self-focus, and whether this effect is moderated by self-compassion. Methods: Participants included 31 undergraduates in Tokyo. A pre-post-test design was used. Participants completed measures including self-focus and self-compassion before and after process recording. Participants were divided into high and low self-compassion groups. Findings: Overall, the mean rumination and reflection scores were 42.0 and 37.9, respectively, at pre-intervention. The low self-compassion group (n = 14) showed no significant changes in either subscale. The high self-compassion group (n = 17) showed a significant reduction in rumination. Conclusions: Overall, process recording does not influence self-focus, but does reduce rumination in those with high self-compassion. Enhancing self-compassion is needed before using process recording to prevent excessive rumination.

Care competencies in adolescents: Development of a new measure and relationships with well-being

Worldwide, we observe an increasing focus on fostering well-being in adolescents. This is reflected in growing research in the field of care. However, empirical research is lacking that focuses on the relationship between components of care: receiving care, self-care and extending care. This lack of research is mirrored in the lack of valid measures for assessing care competencies in educational contexts. The present research, therefore, has four goals: 1) to create a valid and reliable scale assessing levels of care competencies based on the multifaceted and multidimensional concept of care; 2) to explore the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and care competencies in adolescents; 3) to examine the psychological outcomes associated with different levels of care competencies in adolescents; 4) to explore the interaction of the three care dimensions in predicting adolescents’ well-being. Based on data from 742 adolescents, a reliable and valid scale could be developed with six subscales: Receiving care, self-care and extending care, with each of them falling apart in care competencies and care failures. Gender, age and academic achievement were related to care competencies/failures. Findings support the link between adolescents’ well-being and care competencies/failures. These results have implications for promoting adolescents’ well-being through school-based care-cultivation programs.

Causative factors of eating problems among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A qualitative study

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus are prone to have eating problems. This study aimed to determine factors of eating problems among this population in University Malaya Medical Centre. Fifteen adolescents who scored more than 20 marks in the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey - Revised questionnaire were invited for an in-depth interview. Questions were asked based on their questionnaire's response. The interview sessions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was used. Five main themes emerged: pressure, physiological factor, psychological factor, patient's low compliances to insulin intake and food control and fear. Early referral to child psychologist would prevent it from developing.

Mindful Parenting is Associated with Adolescents' Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Through Adolescents' Psychological Inflexibility and Self-Compassion

The acquisition and mastery of emotion regulation is one of the most important developmental tasks of adolescence. Difficulties in regulating emotions are one of the most robust risk factors for the development of difficulties and psychopathology. This study investigates whether a mindful parenting style is associated with adolescent's difficulties in emotion regulation and whether adolescents' self-compassion and psychological inflexibility mediate this association. This study also explores gender and age differences in study variables and the moderating role of adolescents' gender and stage of adolescence in the mediation model. A total of 375 mother-adolescent dyads participated in the study. The adolescents had a mean age of 14.19 years (SD = 1.67; range = 12-19 years) and 59.5% were girls. The mindful parenting dimensions of compassion for the child and nonjudgmental acceptance of parental functioning were indirectly associated with difficulties in emotion regulation through self-compassion, whereas the mindful parenting dimension of listening with full attention was indirectly associated with difficulties in emotion regulation through psychological inflexibility. Some associations were only significant for girls. These findings suggest that mindful parenting is a possible vehicle to foster adaptive emotion regulation in adolescents by facilitating their self-compassion and psychological flexibility.

Perceptions of mindful teaching are associated with longitudinal change in adolescents’ mindfulness and compassion

The purpose of this study was to examine how student perceptions of mindful teaching are associated with changes in students’ mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion for others across a single high school year. We hypothesized two pathways of effect: a direct path whereby when high school students perceive their teachers as demonstrating mindful qualities, they are more likely to emulate these qualities, and an indirect path whereby mindful teaching affects student outcomes by providing an environment that fulfills the developmental needs of students. To test these hypotheses, a short-term longitudinal study of high school students ( N = 599) was conducted in which student outcomes from the beginning to the end of the school year were regressed on perceptions of mindful teaching at the beginning of the year and school need fulfillment during the midpoint of the school year. Results revealed support for the indirect path: student perceptions of mindful teaching predicted changes in student perceptions of school need fulfillment, which then predicted changes in students’ own mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion for others over time. Results are discussed in terms of how mindful teaching might represent a kind of social affordance for students, one in which the needs of students are seen and fulfilled, and, as a result, one in which the students may be more willing to emulate and internalize the qualities of their teachers.

Kindness begins with yourself: The role of self-compassion in adolescent body satisfaction and eating pathology

OBJECTIVE

A wealth of evidence indicates that self-compassion is linked with positive psychological outcomes; however, little is known about the process through which self-compassion exerts its effect. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the direct and indirect impact of self-compassion on body satisfaction and eating pathology in adolescents.

METHOD

Two hundred and thirty-eight students were recruited from three local high schools (M_age  = 16.49, 43.7% boys). All participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-5), Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS), and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire - Adolescent Version (EDE-Q) at baseline. The SCL-5, BASS, and EDE-Q were completed 4 months later.

RESULTS

Self-compassion was positively associated with body satisfaction and negatively associated with psychological distress and eating pathology in boys and girls at both time points. Longitudinal conditional process analyses revealed that self-compassion predicted changes in body satisfaction and eating pathology through changes in psychological distress for girls only. Notably, self-compassion was higher in boys than in girls.

DISCUSSION

Results underscore how self-compassion may be an important factor to target in fostering a positive body image and preventing disordered eating in adolescents.

Self-Compassion and Subjective Well-Being Mediate the Impact of Mindfulness on Balanced Time Perspective in Chinese College Students

Balanced time perspective is associated with optimal social functioning and provides psychological benefits in times of stress. Previous studies have found that mindfulness is positively associated with balanced time perspective and might promote it. However, the mechanism through which mindfulness affects balanced time perspective remains unexplored. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion and subjective well-being in the relationship between mindfulness and balanced time perspective. A total of 754 Chinese college students, aged 17-27 years, completed the Chinese versions of the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Self-Compassion Scale, Subjective Well-Being Scale, and Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. There were significant positive correlations between mindfulness, self-compassion, subjective well-being, and balanced time perspective. Structural equation modeling indicated that in addition to the direct influence of mindfulness on balanced time perspective, self-compassion and subjective well-being played a partial mediating role. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that mindfulness has an important positive influence on balanced time perspective, and highlights the crucial role of the self-compassion in cultivating a balanced time perspective. Limitations of the present study are also discussed.

Is Mindful Parenting Associated With Adolescents' Emotional Eating? The Mediating Role of Adolescents' Self-Compassion and Body Shame

This study aimed to explore whether parents' mindful parenting skills were associated with adolescents' emotional eating through adolescents' levels of self-compassion and body shame. The sample included 572 dyads composed of a mother or a father and his/her child (12-18 years old), with normal weight (BMI = 5-85th percentile) or with overweight/obesity with or without nutritional treatment (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) according to the WHO Child Growth Standards. Parents completed self-report measures of mindful parenting (Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale), and adolescents completed measures of self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form), body shame (Experience of Shame Scale), and emotional eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire). Two path models, one with the total score for mindful parenting and the other with its dimensions, were tested in AMOS. Mindful parenting, specifically the dimension of compassion for the child, was indirectly associated with emotional eating through adolescents' self-compassion (point estimate = -0.27, p = 0.03, CI 95% [-0.61, -0.06]) and through self-compassion and body shame sequentially (point estimate = -0.19, p = 0.03, CI 95% [-0.37, -0.05]). The path model was invariant across weight groups but not across adolescents' sex (the indirect effects were significant among girls only). This study provides a novel comprehensive model of how mindful parenting, especially the dimension of compassion for the child, can be associated with adolescents' emotional eating behaviors by suggesting a potential sequence of mechanisms that may explain this association. This study suggests the beneficial effect of both mindful parenting and adolescents' self-compassion skills for adolescent girls struggling with feelings of body shame and emotional eating behaviors.

Spiritual Transcendence and Psychological Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Personality in Burn Patients

The current study examined the moderating role of personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) on the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The sample (N = 98) comprised adult burn patients (age = 25-50) admitted to three hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. They were assessed according to a demographic information sheet, the NEO Personality Inventory (McCrae and Costa in J Personal Soc Psychol 52:81-90, 1987), the Spiritual Transcendence Index (Seidlitz et al. in J Sci Study Relig 41:439-453, 2002), the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (Lovibond and Lovibond in Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress scales, Psychology Foundation, Sydney, 1995), and the Perceived Benefit Scales (McMillen and Fisher in Soc Work Res 22(3):173-186, 1998). Stepwise moderated regression analysis showed that both personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) played a moderating role in the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The findings highlight the potential role spiritual transcendence may have in understanding and improving the psychological adjustment of burn patients.

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

The adolescent developmental stage is characterized by multiple transitions, both physiological and environmental, and physical, cognitive and socioemotional growth that often leads to both challenges and opportunities. Developing coping strategies to contend with these challenges, such as strengthening resilience and being open to new experiences, can potentially facilitate traversing this developmental period with greater ease. Although previous research has supported the premise that self-compassion buffers the negative effects of these emotional challenges, little research to date has examined the link between strengths-based attributes such as resilience and curiosity/exploration (i.e., being open to and embracing new experiences) and self-compassion, and whether age or gender moderates these relationships. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore these relationships among a large adolescent sample. Results of 786 public school adolescents and 271 private school adolescents (68% white, 65% female, Mage=15.6) who responded to questions in an online survey indicated that self-compassion was positively associated with both curiosity/exploration and resilience, and gender moderated the relationship between self-compassion and resilience such that this association was stronger among males than females. Age did not moderate the relationship between self-compassion and either resilience or curiosity/exploration, indicating that self-compassion is associated with both resilience and curiosity/exploration at all ages across adolescence. Implications are that interventions that cultivate self-compassion among adolescents may strengthen resilience and curiosity/exploration, offering new and healthy ways to cope with these challenges leading to improved emotional well-being.

Self-compassion moderates the perfectionism and depression link in both adolescence and adulthood

Background

Psychological practitioners often seek to directly change the form or frequency of clients’ maladaptive perfectionist thoughts, because such thoughts predict future depression. Indirect strategies, such as self-compassion interventions, that seek to change clients’ relationships to difficult thoughts, rather than trying to change the thoughts directly could be just as effective. This study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion moderated, or weakened, the relationship between high perfectionism and high depression symptoms in both adolescence and adulthood.

Methods

The present study utilised anonymous self-report questionnaires to assess maladaptive perfectionism, depression, and self-compassion across two samples covering much of the lifespan. Questionnaires were administered in a high school setting for the adolescent sample (Study 1, M_age = 14.1 years, n = 541), and advertised through university and widely online to attract a convenience sample of adults (Study 2, M_age = 25.22 years, n = 515).

Results

Moderation analyses revealed that self-compassion reduced the strength of relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression in our adolescent Study 1 (β = -.15, p < .001, R² = .021.) and our adult study 2 (β = -.14, p < .001, R² = .020).

Limitations

Cross-sectional self-reported data restricts the application of causal conclusions and also relies on accurate self-awareness and willingness to respond to questionnaire openly.

Conclusions

The replication of this finding in two samples and across different age-appropriate measures suggests that self-compassion does moderate the link between perfectionism and depression. Self-compassion interventions may be a useful way to undermine the effects of maladaptive perfectionism, but future experimental or intervention research is needed to fully assess this important possibility.

Is Mindful Parenting Associated with Adolescents' Well-being in Early and Middle/Late Adolescence? The Mediating Role of Adolescents' Attachment Representations, Self-Compassion and Mindfulness

There is some evidence that mindful parenting, a parenting approach that involves the practice of bringing mindful awareness to the parent-child relationship, is associated with several positive psychosocial outcomes in adolescents. However, only a few studies have investigated the mechanisms that may underlie that association. This study explores whether the link between mindful parenting and adolescents' well-being is mediated by adolescents' attachment representations, self-compassion and mindfulness skills. The sample comprised 563 parent-child dyads (95.6% mothers). Adolescents (61.5% girls) had a mean age of 14.26 years (SD = 1.66, range = 12-20). Parents completed a measure of mindful parenting, and adolescents completed measures of attachment representations, self-compassion, mindfulness, and well-being. Mindful parenting was indirectly associated with adolescents' self-compassion and mindfulness through a more secure perception of the relationship with the parents, and was indirectly associated with adolescents' well-being through perceived attachment security, self-compassion and mindfulness. The path model was invariant across stages of adolescence but some relations in the model varied across gender. Self-compassion and mindfulness seem to develop within a parent-child relationship characterized by affection, self-regulation, and mindful awareness. These two resources, along with mindful parenting and positive representations of the parent-child relationship, are associated with adolescents' well-being.

Compassion-focused therapy with children and adolescents

Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is embedded in an evolutionary, functional analysis of psychopathology, with a focus on affiliative, caring and compassion processes. CFT has been applied in a number of adult settings, but its clinical applications in child and adolescent psychopathology and psychotherapy have not been systematically explored. This article describes the applications of CFT in paediatric populations. Specifically, the following developmental considerations are discussed: the unique importance of parent-child and attachment relationships for the development of self-compassion, being open to compassion from others and being compassionate to others; the potential effect of com passion training on the maturing brain (affective regulation systems); and the therapeutic targeting of shame and self-criticism to alleviate psychological distress and enhance the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural interventions.

Learning Objectives

• Understand and differentiate the three affect regulation systems and their links to different forms of child and adolescent psychopathology

• Recognise the main components of compassionate mind training with children and adolescents, and related specific therapeutic strategies and exercises

• Acknowledge the importance of adopting a parent-child approach in CFT