Anna M Ehret1, Jutta Joormann2, Matthias Berking3. 1. Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: anna.ehret@zi-mannheim.de. 2. Yale University, USA. 3. University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Self-compassion has recently been discussed as an effective affect regulation strategy for reducing negative affective states. The primary aim of the current study was to compare the efficacy of self-compassion to the more established strategies of acceptance and reappraisal. METHODS: For this purpose, we induced depressed mood in formerly, currently and never depressed individuals (n=30 each) at four different time-points. Participants were instructed to regulate their emotions after each mood induction by either waiting, employing self-compassion, accepting their emotions or reappraising the situation. Level of depressed mood was assessed before and after each mood induction and regulation phase. RESULTS: Across groups, decreases in depressed mood were greater in the self-compassion compared to the waiting and acceptance conditions. In recovered and never depressed participants, self-compassion was also more effective than reappraisal. LIMITATIONS: Our results rely solely on self-report data. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that self-compassion is superior to acceptance and equally or more effective than reappraisal encourages future research on how self-compassion interventions can be used to enhance the efficacy and stability of current depression treatments.
BACKGROUND: Self-compassion has recently been discussed as an effective affect regulation strategy for reducing negative affective states. The primary aim of the current study was to compare the efficacy of self-compassion to the more established strategies of acceptance and reappraisal. METHODS: For this purpose, we induced depressed mood in formerly, currently and never depressed individuals (n=30 each) at four different time-points. Participants were instructed to regulate their emotions after each mood induction by either waiting, employing self-compassion, accepting their emotions or reappraising the situation. Level of depressed mood was assessed before and after each mood induction and regulation phase. RESULTS: Across groups, decreases in depressed mood were greater in the self-compassion compared to the waiting and acceptance conditions. In recovered and never depressed participants, self-compassion was also more effective than reappraisal. LIMITATIONS: Our results rely solely on self-report data. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that self-compassion is superior to acceptance and equally or more effective than reappraisal encourages future research on how self-compassion interventions can be used to enhance the efficacy and stability of current depression treatments.