The Role of Self-Compassion in Physical and Psychological Well-Being

The relation of self-compassion to physical and psychological well-being was investigated among 182 college students. The self-compassion scale was delineated into three composites, following the proposition by Neff that self-compassion consists of three main components: self-judgment versus self-kindness (SJSK), a sense of isolation versus common humanity (ICH), and over-identification versus mindfulness (OIM). Findings support the association between self-compassion and psychological and physical well-being, but the composites demonstrate different influences. SJSK and ICH were predictive of both depressive symptomatology and physical well-being, and SJSK and OIM were predictive of managing life stressors. The results of this study support and expand prior research on self-compassion.