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Cited by 49Emotions and Moral BehaviorPsychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsMindfulness and Compassion Interventions

The impact of illness‐related shame on psychological health and social relationships: Testing a mediational model in students with chronic illness

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Trindade, Inês A., Duarte, Joana, Ferreira, Cláudia, Coutinho, Mariana, Pinto‐Gouveia, José·2018·Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
DOI 10.1002/cpp.2175
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Abstract

This study explores the impact of illness‐related shame on the quality of social relationships and psychological health in chronic patients. We aimed to examine the roles of fear of receiving compassion from others and experiential avoidance as potential mediators of this relationship. Although some studies have demonstrated the negative impact of chronic illness‐related shame on psychological functioning, the mechanisms that may underlie this link remain understudied. The sample was comprised by 115 college students, which had been diagnosed with at least 1 chronic illness. Participants completed self‐report measures on an online platform. This study's design was cross‐sectional. A path analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling. Results showed that the impact of illness‐related shame on both psychological health ( R 2 = .45) and the quality of social relationships ( R 2 = .33) was fully accounted by fear of compassion from others and experiential avoidance. This model revealed an excellent fit. Fear of receiving compassion from others was the main mediator of the illness‐related shame link with the quality of social relationships (β = −.22). The main mediator of the association between shame‐related chronic illness and psychological health was experiential avoidance (β = −.21).This study shed light on possible psychological mechanisms linking feelings of shame associated with having a chronic condition and impaired social relationships and mental health. On one hand, resisting feelings of compassion and care from others and, on the other hand, avoiding difficult internal experiences and situations that might trigger them seem to underlie the impact of shame on psychological and social functioning in chronic patients.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Trindade, I. A., Duarte, J., Ferreira, C., Coutinho, M., & Pinto‐Gouveia, J.
Affiliations
University of Coimbra (PT)
Corresponding author
Trindade, Inês A.
ORCID
Venue
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2018-01-26
Volume
25
Issue
3
Pages
408-414
ISSN
  • 1063-3995 (ISSN-L)
  • 1099-0879
DOI
10.1002/cpp.2175
OpenAlex
W2785585512
Cited by
49
References
13
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3
FWCI
7.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion)
Funders
FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) (SFRH/BD/101906/2014)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Keywords
chronic disease, university students, fear of compassion, experiential avoidance, interpersonal relationships, mental health, mediation, stigma
MeSH terms
Adult, Attitude to Health, Chronic Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Empathy, Fear, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Models, Psychological, Shame, Social Behavior, Students, Young Adult, Self Report

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