SELF-COMPASSION, DIFFICULTIES IN EMOTION REGULATION AND EATING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: FINDINGS FROM AN EATING DISORDERS CLINICAL SAMPLE AND A COLLEGE SAMPLE.
Tânia Rodrigues¹, Isabel Baenas², Carol Coelho¹, Rita Ramos¹, Fernando Fernández², Paulo Machado^1
1University of Minho, School of Psychology, Braga, Portugal/²University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain

The current study explores the predictive value of self-compassion facets on specific dimensions of difficulties in ER and study the clinical profile of participants within a continuum of eating psychopathology levels, in terms of self-compassion, through a cluster analysis. A clinical sample of 94 women (ages 18-60; M = 29.5, SD = 10.2) and a college sample of 274 women (ages 18-56; M = 21.2, SD = 4.7) participated. Self-compassion facets were significant predictors of overall difficulties in ER in the ED clinical sample (F(6, 81) = 20.57, p <.001; R² = 0.60) and in the college sample (F(6, 267) = 22.64, p <.001, with an R² = 0.34). The two-step cluster analysis resulted in an optimal solution of three clusters. Participants’ clinical profile varied from cluster 1 to cluster 3 in a continuum of symptom severity: low profile – C1; intermediate profile – C2; and severe profile – C3. Self-criticism and self-compassion were the strongest predictor variables to clustering membership. Self-compassion was a significant moderator on the relationship between difficulties in ER and eating psychopathology (assessed by the eating disorders-15; ED-15) (b = -0.02, t(357) = 3.38, p <.001; R² = 0.43). Fostering self-compassionate skills and addressing self-criticism and experiential avoidance in therapy may enhance therapeutic gains.

Category
Psychological