Self-compassion: conceptualization, research, and interventions (Brief review)

Abstract

With the emergence of the third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapies that are mainly based on mindfulness and acceptance, "compassion" and "self-compassion" have also been studied. Kristin Neff (2003) conceptualized the construct of self-compassion and introduced some scales to assess it. The purpose of current study is to illustrate of self-compassion and its components. It also deals with; the relationship of self-compassion with psychopathology and well-being, its differentiation from self-esteem, source of compassion, and its role in therapeutic settings. The data used in the current study which was done in 2019, was collected from articles indexed in databases, PubMed, Science-Direct, Google Scholar and Scopus. The collection of reviewed studies consisted of 35 articles covering both quantitative and qualitative research in English since year 2003. The findings show that higher self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety and depression and higher psychological well-being. Furthermore, Self-compassion leads to positive emotions. According to Gilbert (2009), self-compassion is rooted in one's relationships with early caregivers, but research has shown that psychological interventions can improve it. Although, self-compassion has introduced in recent years, it has led to many studies. Self-compassion can be enhanced with treatments such as Mindful Self Compassion (MSC), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).