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Published on: September 27, 2020
The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis
Ulli Zessin1,2, Oliver Dickhäuser1, Sven Garbade2
1University of Mannheim, Germany.
Background:
Self-compassion describes a positive and caring attitude of a person toward her- or himself in the face of failures and individual shortcomings. As a result of this caring attitude, individuals high in self-compassion are assumed to experience higher individual well-being. The present meta-analysis examines the relationship between self-compassion and different forms of well-being.
Method:
The authors combined k = 79 samples, with an overall sample size of N = 16,416, and analyzed the central tendencies of effect sizes (Pearson correlation coefficients) with a random-effect model.
Results:
We found an overall magnitude of the relationship between self-compassion and well-being of r = .47. The relationship was stronger for cognitive and psychological well-being compared to affective well-being. Sample characteristics and self-esteem were tested as potential moderators. In addition, a subsample of studies indicated a causal effect of self-compassion on well-being.
Conclusions:
The results clearly highlight the importance of self-compassion for individuals' well-being. Future research should further investigate the relationship between self-compassion and the different forms of well-being, and focus on the examination of possible additional moderators.
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