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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.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the College of Charleston.