title: Age and Gender Differences in the Associations of Self-Compassion and Emotional Well-being in A Large Adolescent Sample.
abstract: Adolescence is a challenging developmental period marked with declines in emotional well-being; however, self-compassion has been suggested as a protective factor. This cross-sectional survey study (N = 765, grades 7th to 12th; 53 % female; 4 % Hispanic ethnicity; 64 % White and 21 % Black) examined whether adolescents' self-compassion differed by age and gender, and secondly, whether its associations with emotional well-being (perceived stress, life satisfaction, distress intolerance, depressive symptoms, and anxiety) also differed by age and gender. The findings indicated that older females had the lowest self-compassion levels compared to younger females or all-age males. Self-compassion was associated with all emotional well-being measures, and gender and/or age moderated the associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Among older adolescents, self-compassion had a greater protective effect on anxiety for boys than for girls. Additionally, older adolescents with low and average self-compassion had greater levels of depressive symptoms than those with high self-compassion. These results may inform for whom and at what age self-compassion interventions may be implemented to protect adolescents from further declines in emotional well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CB 7200, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 27599, USA. bluth@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7535-6405
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bluth
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CB 7200, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.affiliation: Department of Allied Sciences, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 321 S Columbia St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Futch
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CB 7200, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gaylord
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Distress intolerance; Emotional well-being; Mindfulness; Perceived stress; Self-compassion