Personality Psychopathology and the Role of Self-Compassion

Previous research has examined the relationship between particular personality disorders (PDs) and self-compassion. However, the field has developed new methods for assessing and diagnosing personality psychopathology, and previous work has not extended to the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) of the DSM-5. The current study aimed to examine associations between self-compassion and personality psychopathology using an evidence-based assessment and diagnosis approach. The study used Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in addition to Criterion A (elements of personality functioning) and Criterion B (pathological traits) of the AMPD in order to observe associations between PDs and self-compassion. The results indicated that there were strong associations between identity and self-compassion, as well as that self-compassion and its components were moderately negatively associated with the majority of the AMPD personality traits. The findings can help to establish working treatment methods for individuals with PDs as well as provide support for the evidence-based hybrid dimensional-categorical model of personality assessment.