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. 2014 Feb;19(2):218-29.
doi: 10.1177/1359105312467391. Epub 2013 Jan 8.

Self-compassion and reactions to serious illness: the case of HIV

John M Brion  1 , Mark R Leary, Anya S Drabkin
Affiliations

Self-compassion and reactions to serious illness: the case of HIV

John M Brion et al. J Health Psychol. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that self-compassion buffers people against the emotional impact of illness and is associated with medical adherence, 187 HIV-infected individuals completed a measure of self-compassion and answered questions about their emotional and behavioral reactions to living with HIV. Self-compassion was related to better adjustment, including lower stress, anxiety, and shame. Participants higher in self-compassion were more likely to disclose their HIV status to others and indicated that shame had less of an effect on their willingness to practice safe sex and seek medical care. In general, self-compassion was associated with notably more adaptive reactions to having HIV.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS; coping; illness; self-compassion; shame.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of self-compassion and gender on failure to use condoms.
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