# The Role of Self-Compassion in Buffering Symptoms of Depression in the General Population

## TL;DR

This study explores how self-compassion can reduce depression symptoms in the general population by counteracting self-coldness.

## Contribution

The study extends self-compassion research to a representative general population sample and identifies buffering effects against depression.

## Key findings

- Self-coldness (negative self-compassion traits) was strongly linked to depressive symptoms.
- Positive self-compassion traits alone had minimal impact but together reduced the effect of self-coldness.
- Findings suggest self-compassion interventions may help reduce depression in the general population.

## Abstract

Self-compassion, typically operationalized as the total score of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003b), has been shown to be related to increased psychological well-being and lower depression in students of the social sciences, users of psychology websites and psychotherapy patients. The current study builds on the existing literature by examining the link between self-compassion and depressive symptomatology in a sample representative of the German general population (n = 2,404). The SCS subscales of self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification, and the “self-coldness”, composite score, which encompass these three negative subscales, consistently differed between subsamples of individuals without any depressive symptoms, with any depressive syndromes, and with major depressive disorder. The contribution of the positive SCS subscales of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness to the variance in depressive symptomatology was almost negligible. However, when combined to a “self-compassion composite”, the positive SCS subscales significantly moderated the relationship between “self-coldness” and depressive symptoms in the general population. This speaks for self-compassion having the potential to buffer self-coldness related to depression—providing an argument for interventions that foster self-caring, kind, and forgiving attitudes towards oneself.