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Trait Self-Compassion Reflects Emotional Flexibility Through an Association with High Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability
Open accessAbstract
Converging evidence shows a positive effect of self-compassion on self-reported well-being and mental health. However, few studies have examined the relation between self-compassion and psychophysiological measures. In the present study, we therefore examined the relation between trait self-compassion and vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) in 53 students (39 female, mean age = 23.63). Trait self-compassion was assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale, and resting vmHRV was measured during a 5-min ECG baseline period. We hypothesized that higher levels of trait self-compassion would predict higher levels of resting vmHRV. Controlling for potential covariates (including age, gender, and BMI), the results confirmed our hypotheses, showing that higher levels of trait self-compassion predicted higher vmHRV. These results were validated with a 24-h measure of vmHRV, acquired from a subsample of the participants ( n = 26, 16 female, mean age = 23.85), confirming the positive correlation between high trait self-compassion and higher vmHRV. The relation between trait self-compassion, vmHRV, self-reported trait anxiety (the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI) and self-reported rumination (the Rumination subscale of the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire; RRQ-Rum) was also investigated. Higher levels of trait anxiety and rumination were highly correlated with low levels of trait self-compassion. Trait anxiety, but not rumination, correlated marginally significantly with the level of vmHRV. The findings of the present study indicate that trait self-compassion predicts a better ability to physiologically and psychologically adapt emotional responses. Possible implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
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“Recent studies on compassion using alternate forms of measurement, for example physiological measures such as heart-rate variability, provide important additional data to this debate [124–129].”
From Validation of the compassionate engagement and action scales, compassion scale, and Sussex-Oxford compassion scales in a French-Canadian sample (2024) · cites this paper as [125]
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“A mindful stance is also often characterized by a sense of care, warmth and kindness (self-compassion) towards oneself (Neff, 2003), which can also be seen as an emotion regulation strategy (Svendsen et al., 2016).”
From Participant experiences of change in mindfulness-based stress reduction for anxiety disorders. (2020) · cites this paper as Svendsen et al., 2016
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“For example, trait self-compassion, measured by the Self-Compassion Scale (37) was found to be correlated to resting HRV and an increase in parasympathetic nervous system tone (43).”
Method
Metadata
- Authors
- Svendsen, J. L., Osnes, B., Binder, P.-E., Dundas, I., Visted, E., Nordby, H., Schanche, E., & Sørensen, L.
- Affiliations
- Haukeland University Hospital (NO)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Svendsen, Julie Lillebostad
- Venue
- Mindfulness
- Published
- 2016-06-02
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1103-1113
- ISSN
- 1868-8527 (ISSN-L)
- 1868-8535
- PMC
- PMC5010618
- OpenAlex
- W2414252837
- Cited by
- 129
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 8
- FWCI
- 15.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2018-08-04)
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Mindfulness (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Meltzer Research Fund (5/2015/LMH/42)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research
- Keywords
- trait self-compassion, vagally mediated heart rate variability, emotional flexibility, trait anxiety, rumination, autonomic nervous system, psychophysiology, well-being, university students
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