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Despite the many benefits associated with women’s participation in sport, women athletes are often exposed to potential challenges that can negatively affect their athletic experience. The root of many challenges in sport comes from the level of performance expectations and the frequency of evaluations that women face. Self-compassion is a construct informed by positive psychology that can help people manage self-judgment, rumination, and feelings of isolation while promoting a kind and understanding perspective of the self. Further, self-compassion promotes positive self-attitude without the drawbacks associated with self-esteem; however, past research on the role of self-compassion in women athletes’ well-being is limited. This research applies a mixed methods approach to address the role of self-compassion in women athletes’ body appreciation and intuitive eating. The first phase was quantitative and expands on past research by examining how self-compassion relates to, and explains unique variance beyond self-esteem, in women athletes’ body appreciation, intuitive eating, disordered eating, compulsive exercise, and state self-criticism. Participants were 90 women athletes aged between 18 and 27 years, who participated in a variety of sports and competitive levels and completed an online survey. Self-compassion was positively related to women athletes’ body appreciation (r=.68, p< .01) and intuitive eating (r=.53, p< .01), while being negatively related to disordered eating (r=-.59, p< .01), compulsive exercise (r=-.37, p< .01), and state self-criticism (r=-.45, p< .01). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that self-compassion contributed significant unique variance beyond self-esteem, after controlling for age and BMI (calculated from self-reported weight and height), in women athletes’ body appreciation (4.1%, p<.01), intuitive eating (8.7%, p<.01), disordered eating (9.4%, p<.001), compulsive exercise (8.3%, p<.01), and state self-criticism (7.5%, p<.01). This study supports past research suggesting that self-compassion may be a useful tool for women athletes to manage challenging or difficult experiences in sport, while adding to the literature by highlighting that self-compassion might also play a role in positive sport experiences related to body appreciation and intuitive eating. Six women athletes completed the qualitative phase. Interviews were conducted to explore how self-compassion contributes to women athletes’ experiences of body appreciation and intuitive eating. Three main themes arose from the collective case study. Self-compassion plays a role in body appreciation and intuitive eating by helping women athletes to recognize the uniqueness of sport contexts, through the promotion of awareness, and by helping them to set personalized expectations and standards. Together the quantitative and qualitative phases forward the study of women athletes’ self-compassion, body image, and eating behaviour with a particular focus on positive constructs. As such, the current study provides a foundation to explore other positive psychological constructs and constructs informed by positive psychology and to examine the impact of a self-compassion intervention on women athletes’ body appreciation and intuitive eating.

Research has shown that desirable responding can be detrimental to social relationships, achievement and health. This study used an experimental design to (a) induce an increase in desirable responding through threat to self-image and then (b) compare the effectiveness of self-compassionate and self-affirming writing in attenuating that increase. Control groups included no threat exposure, threat exposure alone and threat exposure plus neutral writing. Desirable responding was measured along two dimensions: self-enhancement and exaggerated virtue. Results show the threat did not result in the predicted increase in desirable responding so the effectiveness of the two strategies with regards to attenuating increases in desirable responding could not be examined and compared. However, results do reveal a difference in the mechanism of these two strategies. Engaging in self-compassionate writing resulted in a significant decrease in exaggerated virtue whereas being self-affirmed resulted in a significant increase, suggesting a possible benefit of a self-compassion strategy.

Självmedkänsla ett relativt nytt begrepp och anses vara en viktig faktor för psykisk hälsa och för ett hälsosamt beteende och kan tänkas utgöra ett skydd mot empatitrötthet och utbrändhet. Människor i vård- och omsorgsyrken anses utsatta och man talar mycket om vikten att vårda sig själv. Självmedkänsla är en förmåga man kan ”öva upp” vilket gör det ytterligare intressant. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka självmedkänsla hos vårdpersonal inom psykiatrisk öppenvård och att få mer kunskap om hur behandlare hanterar misslyckanden och svårigheter. Studien har haft både en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ ansats. En enkät (42 svarande) baserad på en översättning av Self-compassion Scale, som mäter självmedkänsla och tre intervjuer har bearbetats. I resultatet framkommer att det med avseende på självmedkänsla var fördelaktigt att vara man, äldre, att ha antigen kort eller lång erfarenhet i yrket eller att ha steg ett-utbildning. Det framkom i den kvalitativa analysen en rad copingstrategier som individer använder sig av för att hantera misslyckande. Dessa sorterades in under följande teman: att hämta kraft från andra, att hämta kraft inifrån, att ta hand om sig samt att luta sig mot sina livserfarenheter. Självmedkänsla är inte ett självgående lokomotiv utan behöver bränsle, från andra, inifrån individen själv och från livserfarenheterna.

The current blanket prohibition of assisted death in Canada continues to be the subject of much debate. This thesis examines the shortcomings and strengths of the Belgium Law on Euthanasia of 2002 and discusses whether similar legislation could be implemented in Canada. More particularly, the thesis looks at the spirit and intent of the law, the conditions under which assisted death is permitted, and the control mechanism present in the Belgian law. The analysis of Belgium’s ten years of experience with assisted death allows us to argue that the risks inherent in assisted death regime can be controlled in a system where an exception is made for competent people in a situation of unbearable suffering. Important safeguards to prevent abuse and protect people from vulnerable groups are identified in the Belgian statute. This thesis recommends in its conclusion to regulate assisted death as an expression of compassion for suffering patients, in line with Canada’s longstanding commitment to respect for patient autonomy.

The current blanket prohibition of assisted death in Canada continues to be the subject of much debate. This thesis examines the shortcomings and strengths of the Belgium Law on Euthanasia of 2002 and discusses whether similar legislation could be implemented in Canada. More particularly, the thesis looks at the spirit and intent of the law, the conditions under which assisted death is permitted, and the control mechanism present in the Belgian law. The analysis of Belgium’s ten years of experience with assisted death allows us to argue that the risks inherent in assisted death regime can be controlled in a system where an exception is made for competent people in a situation of unbearable suffering. Important safeguards to prevent abuse and protect people from vulnerable groups are identified in the Belgian statute. This thesis recommends in its conclusion to regulate assisted death as an expression of compassion for suffering patients, in line with Canada’s longstanding commitment to respect for patient autonomy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 243-249). / Microfiche. / viii, 249 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-47).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-189).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010. / Prepared for: Dept.of Educational Studies. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 133-144