Reprint of "Self-compassion protects against the negative effects of low self-esteem: A longitudinal study in a large adolescent sample"

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 81; pp. 201 - 206
• Main Authors: Marshall, Sarah L., Parker, Phillip D., Ciarrochi, Joseph, Sahdra, Baljinder, Jackson, Chris J., Heaven, Patrick C.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2015
• Subjects: Adolescents; Longitudinal; Mental health; Self-compassion; Self-esteem; Self-esteem; Longitudinal; Self-compassion; Adolescents; Mental health
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.09.049

•Low self-esteem predicts poor mental health, but only amongst those adolescents who are low in self-compassion.•Low self-esteem had little negative effects on those high in self-compassion.•Self-esteem and self-compassion are statistically distinguishable.•Self-compassion training may help young people to respond effectively to self-doubt. Low self-esteem is usually linked to negative outcomes such as poor mental health, but is this always the case? Based on a contextual behavioural model, we reasoned that self-compassion would weaken the link between low self-esteem and low mental health. Self-compassion involves accepting self-doubt, negative self-evaluations and adversity as part of the human condition. In a longitudinal study of 2448 Australian adolescents, we assessed how self-esteem interacted with self-compassion in Grade 9 to predict changes in mental health over the next year. As hypothesized, self-compassion moderated the influence of self-esteem on mental health. Amongst those high in self-compassion, low self-esteem had little effect on mental health, suggesting a potentially potent buffering affect. We discuss the possibility that fostering self-compassion among adolescents can reduce their need for self-esteem in situations that elicit self-doubt.