Self-compassion and recovery among people with mental illness: The mediating role of self-criticism and self-reassurance among self-compassion, self-stigma, and self-empowerment

Objectives: The present study examined whether self-compassion facilitates self-empowerment and reduces self-stigma, after considering the mediating roles of self-criticism and self-reassurance, and thus promotes recovery in personal and clinical aspects. Methods: A sample of 104 Cantonese-speaking Chinese adults (72 females), aged from 22 to 75, with a diagnosed mental disorder were recruited from community mental health service centers in Hong Kong to complete self-report questionnaires with measures on self-compassion, self-stigma, recovery, self-empowerment, self-criticism, and self-reassurance. Results: Results showed that self-stigma was negatively associated with both personal and clinical recovery while being positively related with self-empowerment. On one hand, the relationship between self-compassion and self-empowerment was mediated by self-reassurance. On the other hand, the relationship between self-compassion and self-stigma was mediated by self-criticism. Conclusions: Findings suggest that self-compassion may contribute to recovery in personal and clinical aspects, with a greater mediation from self-empowerment and a smaller one from self-stigma through respective mechanisms of self-reassurance and self-criticism. Therefore, suitable recovery-orientated self-compassion interventions that lower self-stigma and energize self-empowerment and self-reassurance should be developed for people with mental illness. All rights reserved.