The adolescent stage of development is particularly challenging. Because of the biological, cognitive, and social transitions of adolescence, this stage of development is seen as an important time for interventions promoting well-being (Steinberg, 1999). Recent research suggests that self-compassionate teens experience greater psychological health than those without self-compassion (Neff & McGehee, in press). To date, however, there have been no self-compassion interventions targeted at the adolescent population. This dissertation is a pilot study investigating the development, implementation and assessment of a self-compassion intervention for an adolescent population. The intervention took the form of a weekend “Self-Compassion Retreat” for high-school students, ages 14-17. Over a two day period, 17 subjects participated in the intervention focused on helping the students to understand and begin to incorporate the three dimensions of self-compassion – self kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. The intervention attempted to deepen student understanding of self-compassion by focusing on experiential and contemplative learning strategies (Kabat-Zinn, 1997; Hart, 2004). The 17 students were introduced to the concept of self-compassion through presentations, small group and contemplative exercises as well as individual interviews. The self-compassion intervention was assessed by testing participants along five different dimensions: self-compassion, depression, anxiety, social connectedness, and happiness at three different time points. The intervention was also assessed through individual interviews following the intervention. Though the quantitative results from the pilot study yielded no significant data for the current sample, the qualitative data provided promising information for future interventions aimed at increasing self-compassion. / text

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Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders, with lifetime prevalence rates of 3 to 13% (Statistics Canada, 2015). SAD is characterized by excessive fear of being negatively judged or scrutinized by others in social or performance situations (Cox, Fleet, & Stein, 2004). Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between SAD and self-compassion, and SAD and mindfulness. People with SAD show lower levels of self-compassion compared to healthy controls (Werner et al., 2012), and some research (Neff and Germer, 2013) has indicated that self-compassion can be taught as a skill to enhance levels of self-compassion and overall well-being. As well, mindfulness is a related concept that has been linked to SAD; those with SAD tend to see improvement to their symptoms with mindfulness-based interventions (e.g., Koszycki et al., 2016). Self-compassion and mindfulness are related but distinct constructs that are thought to influence a variety of mental health outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated these constructs concurrently in the context of mental health. The current study examined associations between trait mindfulness, self-compassion and clinical variables in 136 patients with at least moderately severe social anxiety disorder (SAD). Bivariate correlations revealed that higher ratings of self-compassion and facets of mindfulness were associated with less severe social anxiety and depressive symptoms and better functioning and self-esteem. Self-compassion emerged as the strongest predictor of SAD outcomes in regression models. Mediation analysis found that the mindfulness facet Describe served as an indirect mediator in the relationship between self-compassion and severity of clinician-rated social anxiety symptoms. Self-compassion emerged as a mediator between each facet of mindfulness and severity of self- and clinician-rated social anxiety symptoms. Overall, findings from this preliminary cross-sectional study suggest that self-compassion may be a robust indicator of SAD outcomes, and that the ability to label one’s experience may partially explain the self-compassion–SAD symptom relationship. Implications for further SAD research are discussed.

The nature of sport competition involves athletes being compared and ranked based on athletic ability, with athletes invariably confronted by potential threat of subjective and objective failure within their sport context. Given this circumstance and the extraordinary amount of pressure athletes often experience, developing an ability to be kind towards oneself in the face of perceived failure could be an important part of sport training. This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 4-week self-guided online self-compassion program for athletes. Eighty competitive athletes who participate in time-based sports were recruited from sport organizations and randomly assigned to either a 4-week self-compassion program or a wait-list control. Participants in both groups completed pre- and post-study self-report measures of self-compassion, mindfulness, general anxiety, sport-related anxiety, and perceived sport performance. Objective athletic performance was obtained through performance logs. Results indicated that the self-compassion program was of interest to sport organizations and athletes. However, attrition was high and there were challenges with program adherence. Linear mixed model analyses revealed that relative to the wait-list control, participants in the self-compassion group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in overall levels of self-compassion, the self-compassion element of common humanity, and the mindfulness facet Observe. No significant differences between the groups were found for measures of anxiety and perceived and objective sport performance. Factors influencing compliance with online self-compassion programs such as participant readiness and fears of self-compassion are explored. Program efficacy, study limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed. While the self-compassion program is feasible, challenges in program adherence need to be addressed in future studies. Future research should continue formulating the concept of self-compassion in sport to reflect the needs and interests of athletes, consider including several formats and methods of program delivery, add a motivational component to address barriers to participation and program adherence, and work in collaboration with sport coaches and teams.

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Self-compassion is a psychological construct that involves being open to experiencing one's pain and suffering and directing feelings of kindness inwards during moments of distress. Research has found that high levels of self-compassion are negatively associated with depression, anxiety, rumination, and avoidance, and positively associated with overall quality of life. The present study looked at self-compassion as a predictor of psychopathology and functional outcomes in a sample of trauma-exposed OEF/OIF veterans. Baseline data was used from Project PREDICT from of the Department of Veteran Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research with Returning War Veterans. The relations among self-compassion, mindfulness, and experiential avoidance were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used and results found that higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness predicted lower levels of psychopathology and higher overall functioning. In addition, experiential avoidance partially or fully mediated the association between mindfulness and self-compassion and PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, and functionality. Supplemental regression analyses were also conducted examining the relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion with several outcome variables. Results found that self-compassion significantly contributed to the model predicting acceptance of chronic pain. In addition, mindfulness significantly contributed to the model predicting problematic alcohol use. These findings suggest that inclusion of acceptance-based interventions, specifically self-compassion and mindfulness, may improve emotional distress as well as overall functioning in trauma-exposed combat veterans. / text

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Self-compassion has emerged as a relatively new construct in the psychological sciences, and brought with it potential as an additional psychological dimension of health and well-being (Neff, 2003a; Zessin, Dickhaüser, & Garbade, 2015). Neff's Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003b) is the most widely-used questionnaire to assess this construct, though has been challenged on the basis of its psychometric properties (Castilho, Pinto-Gouveia, & Duarte, 2015). Ongoing research continues to refute these concerns with the scale's psychometrics (Neff, 2016). To potentially grow the empirical support of the SCS as a meaningful aspect of psychological functioning, exploration of construct validity via multimethod approaches and predictive utility is indicated. The current study investigated self-compassion of recently-separated adults (N = 137) at study entry as assessed using the SCS, which were rated from multiple sources (self and observer) and obtained from multiple sources (in-laboratory and naturalistic environment). The study followed participants over an average of five months, collecting psychological distress measures at five visits, each one month apart. I found preliminary evidence that initial levels of observer-rated self-compassion predict later self-reported psychological functioning, replicating a prior finding in the literature (Sbarra, Smith, & Mehl, 2012), and may do so over and above one's own self-rated self-compassion. Predictive models indicated meaningful effects of particular psychological covariates, such as depression, attachment style, and self-esteem, which may play a role in the relationship between self-compassion and psychological functioning. This research expands current knowledge on self-compassion as a psychological construct and its potential as a protective factor against psychological maladjustment following a major life stressor.

Ethnic identity development is a process that occurs for all individuals, and weakness in ethnic identity is associated with numerous psychosocial difficulties. Security in ethnic identity can be difficult for those exposed to varying attitudes and behaviors in a multicultural society. As such, the current study examined the influence of mindfulness and self-compassion on ethnic identity development. a sample of 479 undergraduate students completed online self-report questionnaires measuring demographic information, mindfulness, self-compassion, ethnic identity status, and self-esteem. Results suggested that mindfulness and self-compassion are significant negative predictors of ethnic identity, and that self-compassion was a better predictor of ethnic identity status than was mindfulness. Self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between mindfulness and ethnic identity status, as was hypothesized. the sample included primarily Caucasian (n = 278) individuals born in the United States, which likely limited generalizability of findings. Implications of the current findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Research and clinical interest in self-compassion has grown due to its positive links with a variety of physical and psychological health outcomes. This burgeoning interest calls for measures of self-compassion that are theoretically supported and empirically validated. The purpose of this project was to (1) develop a new self-compassion measure, the Self-compassion Inventory (SCI), and (2) test its psychometric properties. To obtain feedback on potential SCI items, a cognitive interviewing study was completed with cancer patients (n = 10). Qualitative findings suggested that, in most cases, items were easily understood and participants’ reasoning for their responses aligned with the intention of each item. After altering certain items based on participant feedback, the scale was then tested with a group of adults with breast, gastrointestinal, lung, and prostate cancer (n = 404). Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a unidimensional structure and internal consistency reliability was excellent. Construct validity of the measure was established through correlations with other psychological variables hypothesized to be related to self-compassion. Evidence of the incremental validity of the SCI relative to the Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form (SCS-SF) also was obtained. For example, the SCI showed smaller correlations with negative psychological variables (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety) than the SCS-SF. In supplemental analyses, a 5-item version of the measure, the Brief Self-compassion Inventory (BSCI) was tested and found to have a unidimensional structure, excellent internal consistency, and evidence of validity. Furthermore, measurement invariance testing of the BSCI indicated that the measure could be used across populations of varying genders, cancer types, and stages of illness. Through robust testing, the SCI and BSCI were determined to be psychometrically sound and can be used in both clinical and research settings.