The casual relationship between self-compassion and self-criticism among female patients with tension-type headaches using structural equation modeling

Aims and background: As shown in many studies, one of the most important reasons for headaches in individuals is their tendency to self-criticism. Discovering some protective factors in order to moderate this tendency, thus, can be one of the important goals of health psychology research. Therefore, the current study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-compassion and self-criticism in women suffering from tension headaches using structural equation modeling. Material & Methods: To do so, 110 women with tension-type headaches were selected through purposeful sampling from psychiatric and neurological clinics and specialized headache centers in Isfahan, and were asked to respond to self-compassion and self-criticism questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) on Amos and SPSS software programs. Findings: The results revealed that the presented model fitted the data well. There were negative relationships between positive components of self-compassion (self-kindness, common human humanity, and mindfulness) and self-criticism. On the other hand, there were positive relationships between the negative components of self-compassion (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification) and self-criticism. The findings showed the research model was appropriately presented. Conclusions‌‌‌: Therefore, based on the results obtained from the present research, it can be concluded that self-compassion as a protective factor can have a significant impact on self-criticism in women with tension-type headaches.