Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Self-compassion and emotional invalidation mediate the effects of parental indifference on psychopathology
Maren Westphal1, Robert L Leahy2, Andrea Norcini Pala3
1Department of Psychology, Pace University, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Abstract:
This study investigated whether self-compassion and emotional invalidation (perceiving others as indifferent to one's emotions) may explain the relationship of childhood exposure to adverse parenting and adult psychopathology in psychiatric outpatients (N=326). Path analysis was used to investigate associations between exposure to adverse parenting (abuse and indifference), self-compassion, emotional invalidation, and mental health when controlling for gender and age. Self-compassion was strongly inversely associated with emotional invalidation, suggesting that a schema that others will be unsympathetic or indifferent toward one's emotions may affect self-compassion and vice versa. Both self-compassion and emotional invalidation mediated the relationship between parental indifference and mental health outcomes. These preliminary findings suggest the potential utility of self-compassion and emotional schemas as transdiagnostic treatment targets.
More Related Videos
07:56Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
08:59The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Adler's Individual Psychology