Abstract
Self-compassion refers to a kind and nurturing attitude toward oneself during situations that threaten one’s adequacy, while recognizing that being imperfect is part of being human. Although growing evidence indicates that self-compassion is related to a wide range of desirable psychological outcomes, little research has explored self-compassion in older adults. The present study investigated the relationships between self-compassion and theoretically based indicators of psychological adjustment, as well as the moderating effect of self-compassion on self-rated health. A sample of 121 older adults recruited from a community library and a senior day center completed self-report measures of self-compassion, self-esteem, psychological well-being, anxiety, and depression. Results indicated that self-compassion is positively correlated with age, self-compassion is positively and uniquely related to psychological well-being, and self-compassion moderates the association between self-rated health and depression. These results suggest that interventions designed to increase self-compassion in older adults may be a fruitful direction for future applied research.
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This work was supported by a grant awarded by the JMM Fund at Grove City College. The author would like to thank Alice Thompson and Samara Wild for their help with data management.
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Homan, K.J. Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-Being in Older Adults. J Adult Dev 23, 111–119 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-016-9227-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-016-9227-8