Baxter, R. and Sirois, F.M. orcid.org/0000-0002-0927-277X (2024) Self‐compassion and psychological distress in chronic illness: a meta‐analysis. British Journal of Health Psychology, 30 (1). ISSN 1359-107X
Abstract
Objectives
Self-compassion is a positive psychological factor linked to improved physical and psychological outcomes across different chronic illness populations. However, the extent to which self-compassion contributes to reduced distress across different conditions or as a function of participant factors is not clear. The current meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between self-compassion and psychological distress in different chronic illness populations and evaluate the factors that moderate this association.
Methods
A systematic search of three electronic databases identified research reporting associations between self-compassion and psychological distress in chronic illness. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between self-compassion and psychological distress. Moderator analyses were conducted for sample characteristics and distress types. A bespoke tool evaluated study quality.
Results
Searches yielded 51 eligible studies with 57 effect sizes. Meta-analysis revealed that self-compassion was negatively associated with psychological distress (r = −.516; 95% CIs [−.55, −.48]; p = .000). Moderator analyses were significant for distress type and chronic illness group, with effects being largest for stress and neurological conditions. Effects did not vary by sex, age or illness duration.
Conclusions
Findings from this first comprehensive investigation of the link between self-compassion and distress in chronic illness highlight the protective role of self-compassion for chronic illness populations. These results lay the foundation for further research into understanding the processes that link self-compassion to lower psychological distress, and that examine the effectiveness of self-compassion interventions in chronic illness populations, to further advance knowledge and inform practice in this area.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | chronic illness; meta-analysis; psychological distress; self-compassion; stress |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 13 Nov 2024 16:36 |
Last Modified: | 11 Mar 2025 10:28 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/bjhp.12761 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:219511 |