The Compassionate Mind: A correlational investigation into the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others

"Self-compassion is associated with many psychological benefits such as lower levels of depression and anxiety, and improved psychological resilience and wellbeing. Compassion for others is also associated with psychological benefits including lower levels of depression and anxiety, as well as increased happiness and self-esteem. The present study used a correlational questionnaire design to investigate the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others, gender differences in the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others, and gender differences in levels of self-compassion and compassion for others. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003a) and the Compassion Scale (Pommier, 2011). The participants were aged 18-74 (N = 200). Contrary to expectations, no significant relationship was found between self-compassion and compassion for others. However, there was a significant interaction between genders for the relationship between self-compassion and compassion for others. The findings also suggest that women have significantly lower levels of self-compassion and significantly higher levels of compassion for others than men. The findings contribute to the developing understanding of self- compassion and compassion for others, and support the development and use of compassion programmes for men and women. The limitations, practical applications, and future research suggestions are discussed.