Evaluating the Multifactor Structure of the Long and Short Versions of the Self-Compassion Scale in a Clinical Sample

Objective: There has been a growing interest in the concept of self-compassion in Eastern psychol-ogy. The aim of the present studywas to explore the dimensionality of thewidely used Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; long and short versions) in both clinical and nonclinical samples Method: Several confir-matory factor analyses (CFAs) were computed in a mixed clinical (n = 316) and a nonclinical sample (n= 1128) from the Portuguese population. Also, differences were tested between the groups in the SCS 6 factors. Results: The CFA supported both a 6-factor model and a hierarchical model in both samples. The SCS also showed good psychometric properties, with good internal consistency, test-retest reliabil-ity, and convergent validity. Our study further suggests that individuals with several psychopathological disorders showed significantly lower self-compassionate abilities. Conclusions: The SCS (long and short versions) is thus a reliable instrument to assess self-compassion and is useful for research and