DIFFERENCES IN SELF-COMPASSION AND SHAME IN PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS, PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

Objectives. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of self-compassion, shame-proneness and internalized shame in samples of patients with anxiety/depressive disorders and in healthy controls. Participants and setting. Patients with anxiety disorders (N-1 = 58), depressive disorders (N-2 = 57) and healthy controls (N-0 = 180) were administered scales measuring self-compassion, shame-proneness, internalized shame, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Hypotheses. It was hypothesized that: 1) both clinical samples would demonstrate a lower level of self-compassion and a higher level of shame-proneness and internalized shame than the healthy controls; 2) there will be no significant differences between the anxiety and the depressed sample in study variables; 3) self-compassion would be correlated with shame-proneness and internalized shame in all samples; 4) self-compassion, shame-proneness and internalized shame would correlate with the severity of anxiety/depression among patients with anxiety/ depressive disorders. Statistical analysis. Data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software, Version 23. Differences between samples were tested using Chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA and one-way MANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Associations between study variables were further determined by using correlation analysis and regression analyses. Results. Both anxiety/depressed patients were found to have significantly lower self-compassion and significantly higher shame-proneness and internalized shame than healthy controls. There were no significant differences between the anxiety and the depressed sample in study variables. All correlations were in the expected directions. Study limitations. The main limitations of this study are possible volunteer bias in healthy controls and conceptual overlap between measured constructs of self-compassion and shame.