The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Yemiao Gao, Xia Liu, Jinmeng Liu, Hui Wang Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xia Liu, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai...

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Main Authors: Gao Y, Liu X, Liu J, Wang H
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2023-08-01
Series:Psychology Research and Behavior Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/the-effects-of-self-criticism-and-self-compassion-on-adolescents-depre-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM
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author Gao Y
Liu X
Liu J
Wang H
author_facet Gao Y
Liu X
Liu J
Wang H
author_sort Gao Y
collection DOAJ
description Yemiao Gao, Xia Liu, Jinmeng Liu, Hui Wang Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xia Liu, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax + 86 10 58806819, Email liuxia@bnu.edu.cnPurpose: Symptoms of depression increase during adolescence as do nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors (NSSI). The present study aimed to investigate how self-criticism interacted with the effects of stressful life events on depressive symptoms and NSSI and whether self-compassion would buffer these negative effects.Methods: A total of 908 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.46, SD = 0.57) completed a cross-sectional survey. The main and interacted effects of stressful life events, self-criticism, self-compassion on depressive symptoms and NSSI were examined respectively.Results: The results showed that self-criticism significantly moderated the relationships between stressful events and depression and NSSI. Self-compassion could buffer the negative impacts of stressful events and self-criticism on NSSI but not on depression. High self-compassion significantly reduced the magnitude of the association between stressful life events and NSSI in adolescents with low self-criticism but not in those with high self-criticism.Conclusion: Self-criticism exacerbated the negative impacts of stressful life events on both depressive symptoms and NSSI, but self-compassion only buffered the impact of stressful life events on NSSI. Interventions designed to reduce NSSI risk of Chinese adolescents may benefit from training them to improve self-compassion abilities and to be less self-critical.Keywords: stressful life events, self-criticism, self-compassion, nonsuicidal self-injury, depressive symptoms
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spelling doaj.art-11aab0775d4244f4b987d2057c2d19b92023-08-13T22:16:47ZengDove Medical PressPsychology Research and Behavior Management1179-15782023-08-01Volume 163219323085836The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-InjuryGao YLiu XLiu JWang HYemiao Gao, Xia Liu, Jinmeng Liu, Hui Wang Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xia Liu, Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax + 86 10 58806819, Email liuxia@bnu.edu.cnPurpose: Symptoms of depression increase during adolescence as do nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors (NSSI). The present study aimed to investigate how self-criticism interacted with the effects of stressful life events on depressive symptoms and NSSI and whether self-compassion would buffer these negative effects.Methods: A total of 908 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.46, SD = 0.57) completed a cross-sectional survey. The main and interacted effects of stressful life events, self-criticism, self-compassion on depressive symptoms and NSSI were examined respectively.Results: The results showed that self-criticism significantly moderated the relationships between stressful events and depression and NSSI. Self-compassion could buffer the negative impacts of stressful events and self-criticism on NSSI but not on depression. High self-compassion significantly reduced the magnitude of the association between stressful life events and NSSI in adolescents with low self-criticism but not in those with high self-criticism.Conclusion: Self-criticism exacerbated the negative impacts of stressful life events on both depressive symptoms and NSSI, but self-compassion only buffered the impact of stressful life events on NSSI. Interventions designed to reduce NSSI risk of Chinese adolescents may benefit from training them to improve self-compassion abilities and to be less self-critical.Keywords: stressful life events, self-criticism, self-compassion, nonsuicidal self-injury, depressive symptomshttps://www.dovepress.com/the-effects-of-self-criticism-and-self-compassion-on-adolescents-depre-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBMstressful life eventsself-criticismself-compassionnonsuicidal self-injurydepressive symptoms
spellingShingle Gao Y
Liu X
Liu J
Wang H
The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
Psychology Research and Behavior Management
stressful life events
self-criticism
self-compassion
nonsuicidal self-injury
depressive symptoms
title The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
title_full The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
title_fullStr The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
title_full_unstemmed The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
title_short The Effects of Self-Criticism and Self-Compassion on Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
title_sort effects of self criticism and self compassion on adolescents rsquo depressive symptoms and nonsuicidal self injury
topic stressful life events
self-criticism
self-compassion
nonsuicidal self-injury
depressive symptoms
url https://www.dovepress.com/the-effects-of-self-criticism-and-self-compassion-on-adolescents-depre-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM
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