BACKGROUND Self-criticism is a ubiquitous feature of psychopathology and can be combatted by increasing levels of self-compassion. However, some patients are resistant to self-compassion. AIMS To investigate whether the effects of self-identification with virtual bodies within immersive virtual reality could be exploited to increase self-compassion in patients with depression. METHOD We dev...

This paper explores the feasibility of a brief Mindfulness with Metta Training Program (MMTP), targeting the enhancement of mindfulness and self-compassion in a retreat format, as a means of increasing resilience in human services professionals. In this randomised control trial, 44 human services professionals were randomly allocated either to a MMTP retreat group or to a control group. Followi...

The objective of the present study was to construct and validate a short-form version of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Two Dutch samples were used to construct and cross-validate the factorial structure of a 12-item Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). The SCS-SF was then validated in a third, English sample. The SCS-SF demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥ 0.8...

We explored the relationships between potentially modifiable factors (mindfulness and self-compassion), intermediate factors (resilience and stress), and outcomes of interest in a cross-sectional study of medical trainees (compassionate care and clinician well-being). Among the 12 participants, the average age was 27.6 years. Mindfulness and self-compassion were positively associated with confi...

Self-compassion is increasingly explored as a protective factor in relation to psychopathology. The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and its Short Form variant (SCS-SF) are the most widely used instruments for measuring this psychological construct, and previous studies have indeed shown that the total score of this scale is negatively associated with psychopathology. In this article, we point out t...

Previous research found that introducing difficulties and challenges during learning has desirable outcomes. With the present work, we investigated the question how the use of and the attitudes toward such learning strategies (so-called desirable difficulties) are related to self-compassion, a concept that describes the tendency to be understanding and kind to oneself when confronted with negat...

About ten percent of the Dutch working population suffers from chronic stress and high levels of emotional exhaustion. Chronic stress is associated with depressive and anxiety disorders, which are very prevalent in the population. One of the individual causes of chronic stress may be high levels of self-criticism. This context warrants a public mental approach. A self-help book was written base...

Growing evidence indicates that self-compassion is associated with better physical health, but the pathways that mediate this relationship are not well understood. This study tested a serial mediation model that linked self-compassion, perceived stress, health behaviors, and a comprehensive index of physical health. A sample of 176 individuals completed an online survey posted on Amazon's Mecha...

OBJECTIVE Physicians are expected to be compassionate. However, most compassion research focuses on compassion fatigue--an outcome variable--rather than examining the specific factors that may interfere with compassion in a physician's practice. This report describes the development and early psychometric data for a self-report questionnaire assessing barriers to compassion among physicians. ...