Self-compassion, attitudes to ageing and indicators of health and well-being among midlife women

Abstract

Objectives: Attitudes to ageing exert a powerful influence on health and well-being, yet surprisingly little research has examined factors that contribute to the formation of these attitudes. The aim of this study was to consider the potential role of self-compassion in predicting attitudes to ageing, which in turn contribute to positive and negative mental well-being and self-reported health.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study using data from 517 midlife women aged between 40 and 60. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships between self-compassion, three facets of attitudes to ageing and well-being outcomes.

Results: Together, self-compassion and attitudes to ageing explained between 36% and 67% of the variance in well-being. Self-compassion was a strong predictor of attitudes towards psychosocial loss, physical change and psychological growth (β range: .22–.51). Furthermore, the relationship between self-compassion and well-being outcomes was partially mediated by attitudes to physical change.

Conclusion: Self-compassion may be a modifiable internal resource to promote healthy attitudes to ageing in midlife, when ageing becomes personally relevant. Moreover, attitudes towards physical change may help explain how self-compassion promotes well-being among midlife women.

Keywords:

• resilience
• self-compassion
• positive psychology
• attitudes
• well-being

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the participants for their ongoing interest and involvement in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partially funded by a small grant available to doctoral researchers at The University of Melbourne.