Exploring the relationship between self-compassion and body dysmorphic symptoms in adolescents

Current cognitive and behavioural models of body dysmorphic disorder aetiology highlight a possible role of deficits in self-compassion as a vulnerability factor. Yet, there has been little empirical research on the role of self-compassion in adolescents' body dysmorphic symptoms (BDS). In this study, we investigated the relationship between self-compassion and adolescents' BDS, after accounting for two potentially overlapping self-related beliefs and attitudes, namely self-esteem and self-efficacy. The participants were 449 Australian secondary school students (60% female) aged 11-17 years (M-age = 13.69, SD = 1.50) who completed the Appearance Anxiety Inventory to assess BDS, the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), and other measures. Principal components analysis supported a two-component solution of the SCS-SF, which were labelled negative sense of self, and self-focussed perspective taking. These two components converged with measures of self-esteem and self-efficacy. As hypothesised, adolescents with a higher levels of self-compassion (total score) had lower levels of BDS. Also, when considered alongside self-esteem and self-efficacy, the negative sense of self component of self-compassion was positively associated with BDS, but self-focussed perspective taking was not. Additional research is needed to consider how to capture the positive component of self-compassion and determine whether it has a protective role in BDS and impairment.