SynthesisBritish journal of health psychology2025
Self-compassion and psychological distress in chronic illness: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in British journal of health psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Exploring the influence of long COVID upon self-identity: a systematic literature review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Pooled it
- Self-compassion and psychological distress in chronic illness: A meta-analysis.British journal of health psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Internet Attachment-Based Compassion Therapy for Adults With Chronic Medical Conditions: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- A qualitative study exploring the experiences of individuals living with lipoedema and the impacts it has on their quality of life.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- The Role of Self-Compassion on Self-Care With the Mediating Role of Illness Perception in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Referred to Sina Hospital: Based on the Leventhal Model.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Association between self-compassion and perceived stress among undergraduate nursing students.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- The word Dementia should be retired.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Exploring the Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationship Between Psychological Resilience and Nomophobia Among Nursing Students.Nursing open · 2026Article
- Sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of self-compassion in adolescents with physical health conditions.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2026Article
- Psychological distress and associated factors among South Asian individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a convergent mixed methods study.Open medicine (Warsaw, Poland) · 2026Article
- Self-compassion, self-care, and rhinitis control assessment in patients with allergic rhinitis: a latent profile and mediation analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Flourishing in chronic disease care: a narrative review and proposed conceptual framework.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Article
- Self-compassion, emotion regulation, and resilience as predictors of psychological well-being in fibromyalgia patients: a cross-sectional study.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Physical symptoms distress and demoralization among haemodialysis patients; the mediating effect of spirituality and self-compassion. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- A Pathway Analysis of Factors Affecting Quality of Life in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Individual and Family Self-Management Theory.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesSelf-compassion is a positive psychological factor linked to improved physical and psychological outcomes across different chronic illness populations. However, the extent to which self-compassion contributes to reduced distress across different conditions or as a function of participant factors is not clear. The current meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between self-compassion and psychological distress in different chronic illness populations and evaluate the factors that moderate this association.
methodsA systematic search of three electronic databases identified research reporting associations between self-compassion and psychological distress in chronic illness. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between self-compassion and psychological distress. Moderator analyses were conducted for sample characteristics and distress types. A bespoke tool evaluated study quality.
resultsSearches yielded 51 eligible studies with 57 effect sizes. Meta-analysis revealed that self-compassion was negatively associated with psychological distress (r = -.516; 95% CIs [-.55, -.48]; p = .000). Moderator analyses were significant for distress type and chronic illness group, with effects being largest for stress and neurological conditions. Effects did not vary by sex, age or illness duration.
conclusionsFindings from this first comprehensive investigation of the link between self-compassion and distress in chronic illness highlight the protective role of self-compassion for chronic illness populations. These results lay the foundation for further research into understanding the processes that link self-compassion to lower psychological distress, and that examine the effectiveness of self-compassion interventions in chronic illness populations, to further advance knowledge and inform practice in this area.
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