Validation of the Korean Version of the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form Among Young Adults: A Comparison of Factor Structures.

Objective: Self-compassion plays a crucial role in emotional well-being and positive mental health. Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) can facilitate measurement of psychological distress and positive affect. SCS-Short Form (SCS-SF) offers an economical and efficient means of reducing burden of both respondents and researchers.

Methods: This study conducted secondary data analysis to construct and validate the Korean version of the SCS-SF (K-SCS-SF) using a sample of 650 young adults residing in Korea. To evaluate the factorial structure of the scale, confirmatory factor analyses were performed on two-, three-, and six-factor models, and model comparisons were conducted using multiple fit indices. Concurrent validity was assessed by analyzing correlations of the SCS-SF with measures of resilience, depression, and anxiety. Reliability was examined based on item-total correlations and internal consistency analysis.

Results: Findings revealed that the two-factor model comprising negative and positive indicators was the best-fitting model. The two-factor model demonstrated strong validity and reliability in its application, highlighting its robustness in assessing self-compassion and its associations with resilience, depression, and anxiety.

Conclusion: The validated K-SCS-SF serves as a reliable, efficient, and practical assessment tool, advancing self-compassion research and its applications in mental health assessment, intervention studies, and psychological well-being research.