Brief report: Self-compassion, physical health and the mediating role of health-promoting behaviours. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dunne, Sara; Sheffield, David; Chilcot, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 23:Number 7(2018)
• Page Start: 993
• Page End: 999
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: correlation -- health behaviours -- mediator -- physical symptoms -- self-compassion; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316643377
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that self-compassion predicts better physical health and that this is partially mediated through health-promoting behaviours, 147 adults completed self-report measures of self-compassion, health-promoting behaviours and physical health. Self-compassion and health-promoting behaviours were negatively associated with physical symptom scores. Self-compassion was positively associated with health-promoting behaviours. A bootstrapped mediation model confirmed a significant direct effect of self-compassion on physical health through health-promoting behaviours ( R 2 = 0.13, b = −8.98, p = 0.015), which was partially mediated through health-promoting behaviours ( R 2 = 0.06, b = −3.16, 95 per cent confidence interval [−6.78, −0.86]). Findings underscore the potential health-promoting benefits of self-compassion.