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Self-compassion as a resource in the self-stigma process of overweight and obese individuals

Objective: Self-stigma in overweight and obese individuals has strong associations with impairment in mental and global health. This study sought to explore self-compassion as a psychological resource in the self-stigma process. Methods: In a 2012 representative German population survey of N = 1,158 overweight and obese individuals, self-compassion was examined as a mediator between self-stigma and mental and physical health outcomes, including BMI (kg/m 2 ), using structural equation modeling and controlling for sociodemographic
factors. Results: Psychological variables were assessed using validated self-report questionnaires. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationships between self-stigma and depression, somatic symptoms, and health status / quality of life, lowering the predictive effect of
self-stigma on the outcomes by approximately one-third. In contrast, self-compassion, because it was unrelated to BMI, did not mediate the association between self-stigma and BMI. Conclusion: Self-compassion has the potential to act as a buffer against the mental and global health detriments of self-stigma in overweight and obesity and could thus represent a target for interventions to reduce self-stigma and prevent these health impairments. In order to influence the association between self-stigma and BMI, self-compassion should conceptually be linked to weight management.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa.de:bsz:15-qucosa-183334
Date12 October 2015
CreatorsHilbert, Anja, Braehler, Elmar, Schmidt, Ricarda, Löwe, Bernd, Häuser, Winfried, Zenger, Markus
ContributorsUniversität Leipzig, Integriertes Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum (IFB) AdipositasErkrankungen, Universität Leipzig, Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Instituts und der Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Klinikum Saarbrücken gGmbH, Inne Medizin I, Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Karger,
PublisherUniversitätsbibliothek Leipzig
Source SetsHochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typedoc-type:article
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceObesity facts 2015;8:293–301

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