Citation

Hood CO, Thomson Ross L, Wills N. J. Am. Coll. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-5.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology College of Charleston , Charleston , South Carolina , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07448481.2019.1596920

PMID

30958756

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Poor family support and increased family unpredictability during childhood have been related to subsequent depression. How self-compassion might influence the relation between family factors (ie, unpredictability and support) and depression is unclear. The present study examines how family factors and self-compassion relate to depressive symptoms. PARTICIPANTS: Study participants include 365 university students.

METHODS: Undergraduate students responded to a questionnaire assessing family factors, recent depressive symptoms, and self-compassion.

RESULTS: Hypotheses were supported: family factors were correlated with depression and lower self-compassion, and self-compassion and depression were negatively related. Furthermore, self-compassion moderated the unpredictability-depression relationship. Specifically, individuals who reported high levels of self-compassion demonstrated similar rates of depression, regardless of whether they reported mild, moderate, or high levels of family unpredictability. Self-compassion did not moderate the family support-depression relationship.

CONCLUSIONS: Implications for therapeutic interventions targeting self-compassion for alleviating depressive symptoms are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Depression; family support; family unpredictability; self-compassion