{"title":"Self-compassion, automatic thoughts, and mental pain in depression: Mediating effects and clinical implications.","authors":"Li-Na Ren, Ji-Song Pang, Qiao-Na Jiang, Xiao-Fei Zhang, Lu-Lu Li, Jing Wang, Jian-Gong Li, Yan-Yan Ma, Wei Jia","doi":"10.5498/wjp.v15.i4.101105","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depression is a leading global health concern with high suicide rates and recurrence. Cognitive models suggest that mental pain and automatic thoughts are central to depression's impact. The hypothesis is that self-compassion will be negatively associated with mental pain, mediated by automatic thoughts.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To determine the mediating role of automatic thoughts in the relationship between self-compassion and mental pain in individuals with depression.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 389 inpatients with depression from Tianjin Anding Hospital. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Chinese Version (SCS-C), Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ), and Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale-Chinese Version (OMMP). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, multiple linear regressions, and mediation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SCS-C total score was 68.95 ± 14.89, ATQ was 87.02 ± 28.91, and OMMP was 129.01 ± 36.74. Correlation analysis showed mental pain was positively associated with automatic thoughts (<i>r</i> = 0.802, <i>P</i> < 0.001) and negatively with self-compassion (<i>r</i> = -0.636, <i>P</i> < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated automatic thoughts (β = 0.623, <i>P</i> < 0.001) and self-compassion (β = -0.301, <i>P</i> < 0.001) significantly predicted mental pain. Mediation analysis confirmed automatic thoughts partially mediated the relationship between self-compassion and mental pain (ab = -0.269, 95%CI: -0.363 to -0.212).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Self-compassion is inversely related to mental pain in depression, with automatic thoughts playing a mediating role. These findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for alleviating mental pain in depressed patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":23896,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Psychiatry","volume":"15 4","pages":"101105"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038655/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"World Journal of Psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v15.i4.101105","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Depression is a leading global health concern with high suicide rates and recurrence. Cognitive models suggest that mental pain and automatic thoughts are central to depression's impact. The hypothesis is that self-compassion will be negatively associated with mental pain, mediated by automatic thoughts.
Aim: To determine the mediating role of automatic thoughts in the relationship between self-compassion and mental pain in individuals with depression.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 389 inpatients with depression from Tianjin Anding Hospital. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Chinese Version (SCS-C), Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ), and Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale-Chinese Version (OMMP). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, multiple linear regressions, and mediation analysis.
Results: The SCS-C total score was 68.95 ± 14.89, ATQ was 87.02 ± 28.91, and OMMP was 129.01 ± 36.74. Correlation analysis showed mental pain was positively associated with automatic thoughts (r = 0.802, P < 0.001) and negatively with self-compassion (r = -0.636, P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated automatic thoughts (β = 0.623, P < 0.001) and self-compassion (β = -0.301, P < 0.001) significantly predicted mental pain. Mediation analysis confirmed automatic thoughts partially mediated the relationship between self-compassion and mental pain (ab = -0.269, 95%CI: -0.363 to -0.212).
Conclusion: Self-compassion is inversely related to mental pain in depression, with automatic thoughts playing a mediating role. These findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for alleviating mental pain in depressed patients.
期刊介绍:
The World Journal of Psychiatry (WJP) is a high-quality, peer reviewed, open-access journal. The primary task of WJP is to rapidly publish high-quality original articles, reviews, editorials, and case reports in the field of psychiatry. In order to promote productive academic communication, the peer review process for the WJP is transparent; to this end, all published manuscripts are accompanied by the anonymized reviewers’ comments as well as the authors’ responses. The primary aims of the WJP are to improve diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive modalities and the skills of clinicians and to guide clinical practice in psychiatry.