Emotional recovery following divorce: Will the real self-compassion please stand up?

Abstract

Self-compassion is a positive psychological construct associated with heightened well-being, but the construct is largely measured via self-report. In a study of divorcing adults ( N = 120), we sought to replicate and extend prior research on the association between self-rated and observed self-compassion, the linguistic cues associated with self-rated and observed self-compassion, and the predictive utility of observed self-compassion. Untrained observers rated participants’ stream-of-consciousness recordings about their marriage and separation experience. We found adequate consensus among raters of observed self-compassion and a significant, positive association between self-rated and observed self-compassion. Greater self- and observer-rated self-compassion were associated with less distress at baseline; however, only observed self-compassion was associated with less distress at the final study assessment. Discussion centers on the cues observers use to perceive self-compassion in others and the extent to which behavioral manifestations of affect may shape such ratings.

Presenting a Predictive Model of Marital Adjustment Based on Psychological Flexibility and Frustration Discomfort with the Mediation of Marital Self-Regulation and Self-Compassion

“…Self-compassion emerged as a pivotal factor in our model, aligning with the work of Baker and McNulty (2011), who highlighted its importance in relationship maintenance and its interaction with individual differences such as conscientiousness and gender (Baker & McNulty, 2011). This underscores the nuanced role of self-compassion in fostering a supportive and understanding relationship environment, further supported by Chau et al (2021), who demonstrated the critical role of self-compassion in emotional recovery following divorce (Chau et al, 2021). Our findings extend this research by illustrating how selfcompassion facilitates marital adjustment, potentially serving as a buffer against the emotional toll of marital conflicts and challenges.…”

“…Empirical investigations have consistently highlighted the significance of self-compassion in the context of relational distress, such as during the emotional recovery following divorce (Chau et al, 2021), and in professional settings where compassion and emotional demands exert a substantial impact on mental health (Dodson & Heng, 2021;Kinman & Grant, 2020). Moreover, the spillover effect of compassion fatigue into marital quality underscores the interconnectedness of professional and personal realms, suggesting that the cultivation of self-compassion could serve as a protective factor in maintaining marital satisfaction (Finzi-Dottan & Kormosh, 2018).…”

Psychological distress with relationship satisfaction is moderated by anticipatory relational savoring among non‐deployed military partners

“…Consistent with transdiagnostic views of psychopathology (Dalgleish et al, 2020), the incorporation of multiple measures of distress and mental health expands the measurement of adjustment and the ultimate external validity of the work. This method of creating composite measures has been employed in previous work to effectively capture a wider and complex range of psychological distress rather than single clinical syndrome such as depression (Chau et al, 2022).…”

The Effectiveness of the Narrative-Based Acceptance and Commitment Counseling Package on Experiential Avoidance, Affective Capital and Desire to Divorce in Women on the Verge of Divorce

“…Among other negative effects of failure in life and increased stressors, especially for women, are behavioral changes that manifest as negative affect (Hayati & Soleymani, 2019). These negative emotions impact marital life in a way that research has shown negative emotions lead to increased marital conflicts and disillusionment, with important consequences of these experiences and negative emotions being increased anxiety and depression along with a decreased level of affective capital due to interference in women's mental health and well-being (Chau et al, 2021).…”

“…Studies have shown that divorce is associated with negative behaviors and emotions because reduced selfregulation creates emotional problems in individuals. Therefore, with increased anxiety and decreased affective capital in women on the verge of divorce, their inclination towards separation and divorce likely increases as well (Chau et al, 2021;Dehghani Sheshdeh & Yousefi, 2019;Ebrahimi, 2020;Farahani, 2019;Habibi et al, 2022).…”