The DOI matches its Crossref record; 69 of the 69 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Self-Compassion: Conceptualizations, Correlates, & Interventions
Abstract
Within American psychology, there has been a recent surge of interest in self-compassion, a construct from Buddhist thought. Self-compassion entails: (a) being kind and understanding toward oneself in times of pain or failure, (b) perceiving one's own suffering as part of a larger human experience, and (c) holding painful feelings and thoughts in mindful awareness. In this article we review findings from personality, social, and clinical psychology related to self-compassion. First, we define self-compassion and distinguish it from other self-constructs such as self-esteem, self-pity, and self-criticism. Next, we review empirical work on the correlates of self-compassion, demonstrating that self-compassion has consistently been found to be related to well-being. These findings support the call for interventions that can raise self-compassion. We then review the theory and empirical support behind current interventions that could enhance self-compassion including compassionate mind training (CMT), imagery work, the gestalt two-chair technique, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Directions for future research are also discussed.
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“This is borne out in research showing that dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion have a positive association with wellbeing and a negative association with negative affect (e.g. shame, guilt and anxiety), mental health difficulties (e.g. depression) and maladaptive cognitive processes such as rumination, worry and thought suppression (Barnard and Curry 2011; Keng etal. 2011; MacBeth and G”
From The Association of Trait Mindfulness and Self-compassion with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms: Results from a Large Survey with Treatment-Seeking Adults (2020) · cites this paper as Barnard and Curry 2011
Citations
Cites
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“Mindfulness involves observing and labeling thoughts and emotions rather than reacting to them (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).”
BackgroundInfluentialMindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future.
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“The fourth core process, self as context, involves exploring how the self-judgmental side of self relates to the experiencing side (Hayes et al., 2006).”
BackgroundThe Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion
NEFF, K. D. (2003) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298860309027 · Cited by 6,436 · cited 47×
“The Tibetan word tsewa, translated as compassion, does not distinguish between compassion for self and others (Neff, 2003a).”
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Cited by
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The Relationship Between Self‐Compassion and Well‐Being: A Meta‐Analysis
Zessin, U., Dickhäuser, O., & Garbade, S. (2015) · Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12051 · Cited by 1,237
The Self-Compassion Scale is a Valid and Theoretically Coherent Measure of Self-Compassion
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Psychotherapeutic benefits of compassion-focused therapy: an early systematic review
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Metadata
- Authors
- Barnard, L. K., & Curry, J. F.
- Affiliations
- Duke University (US)
- ORCID
- Curry, John F.
- Venue
- Review of General Psychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 289-303
- ISSN
- 1089-2680 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1552
- OpenAlex
- W2020746234
- Cited by
- 835
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 38 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 80 · 2022: 89 · 2021: 104 · 2020: 87 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 55 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 18.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Review of General Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- self-compassion, compassionate mind training, self-esteem, self-pity, self-criticism, well-being, mindfulness, mindfulness-based stress reduction, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, Buddhist psychology, self-compassion interventions
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