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. 2012 Oct;11(4):428-453.
doi: 10.1080/15298868.2011.595082. Epub 2011 Aug 31.

Self-Compassion and Well-being among Older Adults

Ashley Batts Allen  1 , Eleanor R Goldwasser, Mark R Leary
Affiliations

Self-Compassion and Well-being among Older Adults

Ashley Batts Allen et al. Self Identity. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

Two studies assessed the role of self-compassion as a moderator of the relationship between physical health and subjective well-being in the elderly. In Study 1, 132 participants, ranging in age from 67-90 years, completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of their physical health, self-compassion, and subjective well-being. Participants who were in good physical health had high subjective well-being regardless of their level of self-compassion. However, for participants with poorer physical health, self-compassion was associated with greater subjective well-being. In Study 2, 71 participants between the ages of 63 and 97 completed a questionnaire assessing self-compassion, well-being, and their willingness to use assistance for walking, hearing, and memory. Self-compassionate participants reported being less bothered by the use of assistance than those low in self-compassion, although the relationship between self-compassion and willingness to use assistive devices was mixed. These findings suggest that self-compassion is associated with well-being in later life and that interventions to promote self-compassion may improve quality of life among older adults.

Keywords: aging; self-compassion; well-being.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study 1: Interaction of self-compassion and pain on general well-being Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between reported pain and general well-being. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for reported pain.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Study 1: Interaction of self-compassion and general health ratings on general well-being Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between reported general health and general well-being. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for general health.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Study 1: Interaction of self-compassion and pain on life satisfaction Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between reported pain and life satisfaction. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for reported pain.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Study 1: Interaction of self-compassion and number of medical problems (MP) on emotional problems Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between number of medical problems and emotional problems. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for number of reported medical problems.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Study 2: Interaction of self-compassion and walking difficulty on willingness to use a walker. Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between reported walking difficulty and willingness to use a walker. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for reported walking difficulty.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Study 2: Interaction of self-compassion and memory difficulty on use of tactics to help memory Note. Graph shows moderating effects of self-compassion on the relationship between reported memory difficulty and use of tactics to help memory. Values on the x-axis are the lowest and highest standardized observed values for reported memory difficulty.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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