Psychometric properties of Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF) in Spanish adolescents

Background: Self-compassion, individual's ability to treat oneself kindly, is important for mental well-being. The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is the most used instrument to measure selfcompassion, but the short form does not have validity evidence in adolescents. Methods: We examined the psychometric properties of the SCS-SF (12 items) in 955 Spanish adolescents (Mage = 13.95) using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and reliability tests. The life satisfaction, family satisfaction, and reactive-proactive aggression were used for convergent validity. Results: Cronbach's alpha reliability value for the total scale was .723. CFA confirmed that the sixfactor model showed good fit indices with three positive dimensions: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness; and three negative components: self-judgment, isolation, and overidentification (chi 2 = 114.730; CFI = .966; GFI = .98; RMSEA = .045). The bifactorial model also showed an adequate fit, although with weaker values than the six-factor (chi 2 = 247.108; CFI = .914; GFI = .95; RMSEA = .06). The unifactorial model showed an inadequate fit. Total SCS score correlated positively with family satisfaction (r = .43; p < .001) and life satisfaction (r = .48; p < .001) and negatively with reactive aggressiveness (r = -.27; p < .001) and with proactive aggressiveness (r = -.18; p < .001). Self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness were associated with higher family and life satisfaction (p < .001) Self-judgment, isolation, and overidentification were associated with lower family and life satisfaction (p < .001). Self-judgment and isolation positively correlated with both reactive and proactive aggression (p < .001), while mindfulness negatively correlated with both reactive and proactive aggression (p < .01). Conclusion: The SCS-SF is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing self-compassion in Spanish adolescents. Results suggest the six-factor model in its first validation in an adolescent population with convergent validity. The findings of this study corroborate the significance of selfcompassion for the mental health of adolescents, particularly in relation to their family and life satisfaction.