THRIVING IN COLLEGE: EFFECTS OF SELF-COMPASSION ON AFFECT AND WELL-BEING IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
Open Access
- Author:
- Casilli, Cara Nicole
- Area of Honors:
- Biobehavioral Health
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Laura Cousino Klein, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Lori Anne Francis, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- thrive
self-compassion
forgiveness
body mass index
depression/anxiety
college student - Abstract:
- Eight in 10 college students feel stressed (AIS 2017), and these high levels of perceived stress come with a toll. Negative health behaviors can result as well as poor mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety. Although the relationship between perceived stress and biobehavioral outcomes is well-established, less is known about protective factors that could buffer these effects. Self-compassion and forgiveness are such protective factors that may reduce these negative health outcomes. Self-compassionate individuals possess the ability to self-soothe when facing failure and react to disappointment with self-kindness and patience (Hope et al., 2014). Higher levels of self-compassion are also associated with higher levels of forgiveness (Neff & Pommier, 2010). Using an anonynmous survey of undergraduate college students (aged 18-24 years), this study examined whether self-comapssion and forgiveness buffer against biobehavioral effects of stress in a US national sample (N=217). The survey included measures of stress, depressive symptoms (CESD-10), trait anxiety (STAI), self-compassion, tendency to forgive and body mass index. Participants reported clinically significant levels of depression levels and anxiety. Trait forgiveness was positively associated with self-compassion [r = +0.33, n = 173, p < 0.05]. Further, increased levels of self-compassion and forgiveness were associated with reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress levels (r’s<-0.57, n’s>173, p’s<0.05). Self-compassion but not forgiveness was associated with reduced body mass index (r=-0.34, n=191, p<0.05). These results are novel and suggest potential avenues for further exploration into compassion and forgiveness interventions in college students.