What is it about?
Being self-compassionate and receiving compassion and care from others are believed to be crucial for improving and increasing well-being in therapy. We have discovered that being more open to receiving compassion from others actually leads to positive changes in depression, whereas surprisingly increased self-compassion does not cause these changes. Increased self-compassion appears to be a result of successful treatment for depression. This means that if a patient can overcome their fear of receiving compassion and care, they will experience a reduction in depression. Furthermore, as a patient becomes less depressed, they will become better at showing kindness and care to themselves later on.
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Why is it important?
Depression is a major global health issue, causing suffering for millions of individuals and their families. It's important to understand what works in therapy to improve the effectiveness of treatments for depression. For therapists, knowing that reducing the fear of receiving compassion from others is more relevant than increasing self-compassion in treating long-lasting depression is valuable information. Similarly, patients would benefit from understanding the importance of being open to receiving compassion and care from others as a way to challenge themselves if feeling depressed. Additionally, this study is of great significance as it breaks new ground by examining the role of self-compassion and compassion from others in bringing about changes in depression during therapy. Unlike previous studies, this research considers the element of time and provides insights into the sequence of changes: Does an increase in self-compassion and compassion from others actually lead to a reduction in depression, or is it the reverse? Thus, the findings of this study challenge the prevailing belief that self-compassion alone is enough to bring about change, even though there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting this notion.
Perspectives
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on self-compassion in psychotherapy research, therapy theories and self-help literature. Therefore, it is surprising to find that an increase in self-compassion does not lead to a change in depression. Common sense would suggest that individuals who are depressed and often self-critical would benefit from being kinder to themselves. However, the current findings suggest that improving well-being is not something that can be achieved solely through self-efforts. Depressed individuals, who tend to isolate themselves, can rather benefit from opening up to others, relying on them, and trusting that others can show kindness and care. This reliance on others and their compassionate support can facilitate positive change. The current study supports the idea that, fundamentally, we are social beings who thrive in relationships with others.
Linne Melsom
Modum Bad
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Self-compassion and fear of compassion in the treatment of chronic depression: Mechanisms of change?, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, May 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000822.
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