A longitudinal analysis of the relationship between self-compassion and the psychological effects of perceived stress

ABSTRACT

Self-compassion is consistently associated with psychological well-being, but most research has examined their relationship at only a single point in time. This study employed a longitudinal design to investigate the relationship between baseline self-compassion, perceived stress, and psychological outcomes in college students (n = 462) when the outcomes were measured both concurrently with perceived stress and after a lag of six months. Self-compassion moderated the effects of perceived stress such that stress was less strongly related to depression, anxiety, and negative affect among participants who scored high rather than low in self-compassion. Self-compassion also moderated the effects of perceived stress on depression and anxiety prospectively after six months. Self-compassion predicted positive affect but moderated the effects of perceived stress on positive affect in only one analysis. This study suggests that high self-compassion provides emotional benefits over time, partly by weakening the link between stress and negative outcomes.     

Sustained Implementation of Evidence‐based Programs in Disadvantaged Communities: A Conceptual Framework of Supporting Factors

This paper presents a review of the empirical literature for studies evaluating factors that facilitate and create barriers to sustained program implementation in disadvantaged communities. It outlines study methodology and sustainment outcomes and proposes a conceptual model that involves implementation sustainment support for providers delivering evidence‐based health and family services in disadvantaged communities. Sustained program implementation in the community setting is a significant issue as only 43% of studies reported successfully sustained programs. The review identified 18 factors that facilitate success and create barriers to program sustainment. The factors are synthesized into three themes; program characteristics, workplace capacity, and process and interaction factors. The majority of factors map onto commonly cited sustainability influences in implementation science. However, there was an additional focus for studies included in this review on the importance of factors such as program burden, program familiarity and perceived competence in program skills, workplace support for the program, staff mobility and turnover, supervision and peer support, and ongoing technical assistance. The need to use a conceptual framework and develop measures to guide and evaluate capacity building in EBP implementation and sustainment in low‐resource community settings is highlighted.     

Ready for Anything the World Gives Her? : A Critical Look at Sports-Based Positive Youth Development for Girls

Girl-centered sport and physical activity programs that are grounded in a positive youth development approach have grown tremendously in the United States since the 1990s. While research on the efficacy of sports-based positive youth development is limited, recent studies conducted in the United States suggest these programs yield benefits. Our assessment of the literature and programming efforts however highlight a significant gap in the theoretical assumptions of girl-centered, sports-based positive youth development: an understanding of the complexity of sport and physical activity within a gendered context. Focusing on the U.S. context and using a feminist sociological lens, we articulate a paradox in these programs: sport participation and physical activity can improve girls’ lives along numerous psycho-social dimensions, yet in absence of attention to the social and political context of gender relations, girl-centered, sports-based positive youth development programs risk unwittingly maintaining the gender status quo. We review three specific critiques to illustrate this paradox: 1) the emphasis on the individual and the immediate context of girls’ lives masks larger systems of inequality and privilege; 2) the use of post feminist narratives, such as Girl Power, suggests girls live in a world beyond sexism; and 3) the focus on reducing the childhood “obesity epidemic” through fitness contributes to harmful fat phobic messages for girls. We offer recommendations that assist programs in leveraging their existing strengths to have a meaningful impact on girls’ lives, and that address cultural and structural factors as well as individual and interpersonal ones.