Abstract
This research portfolio was submitted in part fulfilment for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The portfolio contains a systematic literature review and a large-scale research project, both prepared for submission to peer-reviewed journals.Systematic review:
Title: A Meta Analytic Review of the Relationship Between Self- compassion and Depression in Mothers during the Perinatal Period
Description: A meta-analysis of 10 samples was carried out to estimate the average effect size for the association between self-compassion and depression in women in the perinatal period. Results showed an overall negative association between self-compassion and depression in perinatal women (r= -.58) Variance in scores was not accounted for by stage in perinatal period or type of sample. Results suggest that self-compassion may act as a buffer against symptoms of depression in pregnant and postpartum women. Future exploration of the effectiveness of compassion-focused interventions is warranted. Future longitudinal research with clinical populations is needed however to increase our understanding of the relationship between these variables.
Large scale research project:
Title: The Role of Psychological Flexibility and Self-compassion in Predicting Parental Distress and Adjustment in Parents of Preterm Infants
Description: A quantitative analysis of 215 participants using multiple hierarchical regressions revealed psychological flexibility and self-compassion as unique predictors of psychological distress in parents of preterm infants. Components of psychological flexibility were unique predictors of individual and relational adjustment while self-compassion was predictive of relational but not individual adjustment. The portion of variance accounted for by self-compassion after controlling for psychological flexibility was modest however. Components of psychological flexibility but not self-compassion retained their predictive value for individual and relational adjustment when controlling for psychological distress. This study provides preliminary evidence of the potential protective role of psychological flexibility and self-compassion in the development of psychological distress and adjustment difficulties in parents of preterm infants and provides support for future development of acceptance based interventions for this population.
| Date of Award | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Pauline Adair (Supervisor) & Christopher Graham (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Psychology
- self-compassion
- parents