Self-compassion and well-being in parenthood

PhD Thesis


Gammer, I. 2017. Self-compassion and well-being in parenthood. PhD Thesis Canterbury Christ Church University Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology
AuthorsGammer, I.
TypePhD Thesis
Qualification nameDClinPsychol
Abstract

New self-help interventions have been called for to promote psychological well-being amongst mothers in the first year post-partum, with self-compassion being identified as a promising intervention target. The present study developed and evaluated a low-intensity, online, compassion-based intervention for this population. The Kindness for Mums Online (KFMO) programme was based on Hartley-Jones (2016), and was developed in consultation with six mothers. Mothers of infants under one year (N = 206) participated in a randomised controlled trial, comparing KFMO with a waitlist control. The KFMO group showed significantly greater increases in self-compassion and in psychological well-being compared to controls, with small to medium effect sizes. Improvement in self-compassion statistically mediated the improvement in well-being observed immediately post-intervention. Treatment gains in self-compassion, but not well-being, were maintained at 6-week follow-up.

The findings suggest that self-compassion can be increased in post-natal women via an accessible, low-intensity, web-based self-help programme. Study limitations include high attrition rates and poor generalisability to more diverse samples.

Year2017
Supplemental file
File Access Level
Restricted
Publication process dates
Deposited13 Oct 2017
AcceptedMay 2017
Output statusUnpublished
Accepted author manuscript
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https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/885y6/self-compassion-and-well-being-in-parenthood

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Related outputs

A randomized controlled trial of an online, compassion-based intervention for maternal psychological well-being in the first year postpartum
Gammer, I., Hartley-Jones, C. E. and Jones, F. W. 2020. A randomized controlled trial of an online, compassion-based intervention for maternal psychological well-being in the first year postpartum. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01306-9