The Role of Self-compassion in Psychological Well-being for Male Survivors of Childhood Maltreatment

Many studies have explored the negative outcomes of childhood maltreatment, including psychopathology, risk-taking behaviors, and death by suicide. Being male may exacerbate negative symptoms following maltreatment and result in a decreased sense of psychological well-being. Much remains unexamined when exploring factors that may buffer the negative outcomes of maltreatment. Self-compassion has been suggested to aid in the improvement of psychological well-being and in the recovery of traumatic events. This study examined the relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being among a sample of men who had and had not experienced childhood maltreatment. Testing a model of mediation, findings reflected that self-compassion, while not a full mediator between maltreatment and psychological well-being, served as partial mediator. Implications and future directions are explored.