Self-criticism and self-compassion: risk and resilience: being compassionate to oneself is associated with emotional resilience and psychological well-being (original) (raw)
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Self-Criticism and Depressive Symptoms: Mediating Role of Self-Compassion
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
Self-compassion is gaining recognition as a resilience factor with implications for positive mental health. This study investigated the role of self-compassion in alleviating the effect of self-criticism on depressive symptoms. Participants were 147 urban, low-income African Americans with a recent suicide attempt. They were administered measures of self-criticism, depressive symptoms, and self-compassion. Results from this cross-sectional investigation showed that self-criticism was positively associated with depressive symptoms and negatively associated with self-compassion, and self-compassion was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Bootstrapping analysis revealed that self-compassion mediated the self-criticism–depressive symptoms link, suggesting that self-compassion ameliorates the negative impact of self-criticism on depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that low-income African Americans with recent suicide attempt histories may benefit from interventions that...
Self-criticism has been shown to be a vulnerability factor that can lead to and maintain depression. We examined the moderating effect of fear of receiving compassion from others on the positive association between self-criticism and depression. Self-report measures were administered to four separate samples (total N = 701) varying in age (students and community adults) and cultural context (Canada, England, and Portugal). Two different measures of selfcriticism and of depression were administered to investigate the generalizability of results. Selfcriticism, depression, and fear of compassion from others were positively related to one another in all samples. As predicted, fear of compassion from others exerted a moderating effect on the relationship between self-criticism and depression. Low fear of compassion from others weakened the depressogenic effect of self-criticism, while high fear of compassion from others exacerbated the effect. Thus, a self-critic's ability to be open and responsive to care and support from others protected against depression. The aggregate moderating effect across the four studies was of medium size (d+ = .53) and highly significant, indicating a robust phenomenon.
Mindfulness
Objectives Although research in self-compassion has been rapidly growing, there is still substantial controversy about its meaning and measurement. The controversy centers on Neff’s popular Self- Compassion Scale (SCS) and the argument that compassionate self-responding (CSR) and uncompassionate self-responding (UCS) are a single dimension versus the argument that they are two semi-independent, unipolar dimensions, with UCS not reflective of “true” self-compassion. Methods We review the evidence for both positions and conclude that the data cannot yet resolve the debate. Results Neither position is proven to be right or wrong. We recommend the way forward is to let go of traditional factor analytic approaches and examine self-compassionate behavior as a dynamic network of interacting processes that are influenced by context. This leads us to three classes of testable hypotheses. The link between CS and UCS will depend on the timeframe of measurement, current circumstances, and indiv...
Mindfulness, 2020
Objectives Striving to avoid inferiority, fear of compassion from others, and self-criticism are all factors that have been linked to increased depressive symptoms. However, less is known about the mechanisms of their relationship with depression, and even less about their relationship and potential interaction with each other. This study aimed to investigate the potential moderating role of fear of compassion on the relationship between self-criticism and depression, and insecure striving and depression. Methods A longitudinal survey design with non-probability sampling was employed. Participants were surveyed at two time points (time 1 and time 2) separated by a 2-week interval. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, selfcriticism, insecure striving, and fear of compassion from others. The final sample was comprised of 93 individuals aged 19 to 60 years (M = 29.86, SD = 10.87). Results Using prospective data, this study replicated previous cross-sectional findings that high fear of compassion strengthens the relationship between self-criticism and depression. Fear of compassion was also found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between insecure striving at time 1 and depression at time 2, with low fear of compassion strengthening the relationship between insecure striving and depression. Conclusions These findings may have important implications for how we understand and treat depression. They suggest that targeting both an individual's fear of, and ability to effectively communicate needs for, compassion from others may be important in reducing depressive symptoms, particularly in individuals who are high in self-criticism and insecure striving beliefs.
2021
Self-talk, self-directed verbal thinking, is a commonly experienced phenomenon but remains under-researched. Within the past few decades, self-compassion has emerged as a resilience factor with implications for positive mental health, while self-criticism has been a central marker of a wide range of psychopathologies. To date, no research has directly investigated the effects of psychological mindsets of self-compassion and self-criticism as manifested in self-talk with a particular emphasis on the valence dimension (positive, negative) of self-talk. Two hundred thirty-three participants were recruited from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003a), Levels of Self-Criticism Scale (LSCS; Thompson & Zuroff, 2004), and Self-Talk Inventory (STI; Calvete et al., 2005). Our results show that self-compassion, which is regarded as an adaptive mindset, is related to the higher likelihood of engaging in positive styles of self-talk. The resul...
The clinical trait self-criticism and its relation to psychopathology: A systematic review – Update
Journal of Affective Disorders, 2018
This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights Self-criticism is positively associated with many psychopathological symptoms. Clinical research on self-criticism covers other mental disorders than depression. Compassion-and emotion-focused therapy approaches reduce self-criticism. Extreme forms of self-criticism like hated self are difficult to change. Adaptive outcomes of self-criticism need further consideration in future research.
Self-compassion moderates the perfectionism and depression link in both adolescence and adulthood
PLoS ONE, 2018
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, Mage = 14.1 years, n = 541), and advertised through university and widely online to attract a convenience sample of adults (Study 2, Mage = 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.
Self and Identity, 2018
This paper presents two studies focusing on the link between psychological functioning and self-compassion as measured by the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), especially in terms of SCS components that represent increased compassionate and reduced uncompassionate behavior. Study One examined this association in seven domains-psychopathology, positive psychological health, emotional intelligence, self-concept, body image, motivation, and interpersonal functioning-and found that while reduced negative self-responding had a stronger link to negative emotionality and self-evaluation than positive self-responding, they were roughly equivalent predictors in other domains. Study Two examined the association of compassionate and reduced uncompassionate behavior with sympathetic nervous system and inflammatory activity after stress, and found they equally predicted salivary alpha amylase and interleukin-6 levels in individuals after a stressful situation. Overall, results suggest that both compassionate and reduced uncompassionate self-responding are central to self-compassion and that both help to explain its link to healthy psychological functioning. Self-compassion is proposed to be a healthy way of relating to oneself in times of suffering, whether suffering is caused by failure, perceived inadequacy, or general life difficulties. As defined by Neff (2003b), self-compassion represents the balance between increased positive and decreased negative self-responding to personal struggle. Self-compassion entails being kinder and more supportive toward oneself and less harshly judgmental. It involves greater recognition of the shared human experience, understanding that all humans are imperfect and lead imperfect lives, and fewer feelings of being isolated by one's imperfection. It entails mindful awareness of personal suffering, and ruminating less about negative aspects of oneself or one's life experience. Over the last few years, research on self-compassion has