Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May;49(3):385-403.
doi: 10.1007/s10488-021-01170-2. Epub 2021 Sep 24.

A Review of Self-Compassion as an Active Ingredient in the Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Young People

Sarah J Egan  1   2 , Clare S Rees  3 , Joanna Delalande  3 , Danyelle Greene  3 , Grace Fitzallen  3 , Samantha Brown  3 , Marianne Webb  3 , Amy Finlay-Jones  3   4
Affiliations

A Review of Self-Compassion as an Active Ingredient in the Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Young People

Sarah J Egan et al. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2022 May.

Abstract

Previous meta-analyses have found higher self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of self-compassion as an active ingredient in the treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in youth. This was conducted through (i) a systematic review of the literature and (ii) qualitative consultation with young people and researchers in self-compassion. Fifty studies met our inclusion criteria. Eight studies evaluated self-compassion interventions among youth aged 14-24, and the remaining studies measured the association between self-compassion and anxiety, and/or depression among this age group. Qualitative interviews were conducted with four self-compassion researchers. Interviews were also conducted in two rounds of consultation with 20 young people (M age = 18.85 years, age range 14-24 years). Higher self-compassion was related to lower symptoms of anxiety, r = - 0.49, 95% CI (- 0.57, - 0.42), and depression, r = - 0.50, 95% CI (- 0.53, - 0.47). There was evidence for self-compassion interventions in decreasing anxiety and depression in young people. Consultation with young people indicated they were interested in self-compassion interventions; however, treatment should be available in a range of formats and tailored to address diversity. Self-compassion experts emphasised the importance of decreasing self-criticism as a reason why self-compassion interventions work. The importance of targeting self-criticism is supported by the preferences of young people who said they would be more likely to engage in a treatment reducing self-criticism than increasing self-kindness. Future research is required to add to the emerging evidence for self-compassion interventions decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression in young people.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anxiety; Depression; Review; Self-compassion; Youth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flowchart outlining the search process
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Arch JJ, Warren Brown K, Dean DJ, Landy LN, Brown K, Laudenslager ML. Self-compassion training modulates alpha-amylase, heart rate variability and subjective responses to social evaluative threat in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014;42:49–58. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuren.2013.12.018. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arimitsu K. The effects of a program to enhance self-compassion in Japanese individuals: A randomised controlled trial. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2016;11:559–571. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1152593. - DOI
    1. Arimitsu K, Hofmann SG. Cognitions as mediators in the relationship between self-compassion and affect. Personality and Individual Differences. 2015;74:41–48. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.10.008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Asano K, Kotera Y, Tsuchiya M, Ishimura I, Lin SZ, Matsumoto Y, Matos M, Basran J, Gilbert P. The development of the Japanese version of the compassionate engagement and action scales. PLoS ONE. 2020 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230875. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bluth K, Roberson PNE, Gaylord SA. A pilot study of a mindfulness intervention for adolescents and the potential role of self-compassion in reducing stress. Explore. 2015;11:292–295. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2015.04.005. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types