Self-Compassion Moderates the Relations between Adversity and Emotional Outcomes

Self-Compassion Moderates the Relations between Adversity and Emotional Outcomes Estimates of major depressive and generalized anxiety disorder appear to be increasing at steady rates across each stage of the lifespan (U.S. Burden of Disease Collaborators, 2013). Even more concerning, these emotional difficulties accounted for $67 - $74 billion dollars of healthcare expenditures in 2007 (Tolin et al., 2010). Traditionally, psychological theories emphasize the influence of stressful life events on depression and anxiety difficulties. Selye (1936) maintained that stressful events strain the body’s resources in a way that disrupts emotional functioning, whereas Ingram and Luxton (2005) suggest that stressful events activate vulnerability factors that predispose individuals to emotional disturbance. However, Monroe and Hadjiyannakis (2002) found evidence that 50% of individuals who experience stressful events do not report mood difficulties, suggesting that some people can successfully tolerate the burden of stress without significant psychological impairment. Self-compassion, a self-oriented approach to stimulate kindness and positive action as a means to diminish suffering, may help clarify the parameters by which stressful events predict depression and anxiety symptoms (Neff et al., 2007). The current study seeks to determine if estimates of self-compassion moderate the relations between stressful events and emotional outcomes. Participants include 440 college students, 178 men (40.5%) and 261 women (59.5%). The mean age of the participants was 19.92 years. Bivariate correlations and two hierarchical regression models were analyzed. Results indicated that self-compassion was significantly associated with estimates of stressful events, depression, and generalized anxiety. Two hierarchical regression models were analyzed to determine moderating effects. Our results highlight the moderating role of self-compassion in the stressful events/emotional outcome relations. Practitioners should consider self-compassion-based interventions to help individuals grow from stressful events. This may decrease rates of depression and anxiety. Simply put, learning to love oneself may be the key to overcoming depression and/or anxiety