COVID-19 was a global pandemic and a mental health emergency posing long-lasting negative consequences on people's well-being. Understanding coping responses that lead to quicker and more positive adaptation patterns after temporary adversity can help people return quickly to well-being. Our research aims to explore the role of self-compassion in predicting more adaptive responses, lowering anxiety levels and fear of COVID-19 contagion, and improving psychological resilience during the pandemic challenges. Relevant research findings confirm self-compassion and psychological resilience's positive contribution to the individual's problem-solving skills. Our research is quantitative with the use of two standardized questionnaires, namely, Neff’s “Self-compassion scale” 18 and Smith’s “Concise Resilience Scale” 28 (in Greek). Participants were 164 Greek and Cypriot subjects aged 18-65, and we collected data online by sharing the questionnaire's link on social media. Data analysis through the SPSS 25.0 showed high levels of resilience and self-compassion, moderate anxiety, and high levels of fear of COVID-19 contagion. Moreover, we detected statistically significant positive correlations between self-compassion and psychological resilience, and significant negative correlations between anxiety, fear of contagion, resilience, adjustment, and self-compassion, indicating that high levels of self-compassion can predict high levels of resilience and be protective factors against anxiet

Body appreciation, defined as accepting, holding favourable attitudes towards, and respecting the body, is the most widely studied facet of positive body image. Despite more than 15 years of research investigating associations between body appreciation and psychological wellbeing constructs, a synthesis of this literature has yet to be performed. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of research on body appreciation and its psychological correlates. Two-hundred-forty papers were included, of which only eight investigated prospective associations. Random effects meta-analyses were performed on 35 cross-sectional correlates of body appreciation. Prospective associations were reviewed qualitatively. Meta-analyses showed that body appreciation was inversely associated with numerous indices of eating (eating pathology, restraint) and body image disturbances (appearance-ideal internalization, body surveillance, sociocultural pressures), and general psychopathology (depression, anxiety). Body appreciation was positively associated with several adaptive wellbeing constructs (self-esteem, self-compassion, sexual satisfaction). Crucially, pooled associations were still evident after controlling for the influence of negative body image. Qualitative synthesis showed that body appreciation may also promote better wellbeing over time. Findings confirm that body appreciation is consistently associated with better psychological wellbeing. Body appreciation shows promise as a viable intervention target in mental health promotion initiatives and eating disorder prevention programs.

Research indicates that self-compassionate individuals experience greater psychological health than those who lack self-compassion. The Christian Bible's Compassion is a social emotion that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on notions such as fairness, justice, and interdependence, it may be considered partially rational in nature. Compassion involves "feeling for another" and Self-compassion is being kind to oneself and accepting suffering as a quality of being human. It has positive effects on subjective… The first of the Four Noble Truths is the truth of suffering or dukkha (unsatisfactoriness or stress). Dukkha is one of the three distinguishing characteristics of all conditioned existence. It arises as a consequence of not understanding the nature of impermanence anicca (the second characteristic) as well as a lack of understanding that all phenomena are empty of self anatta (the third characteristic). When one has an understanding of suffering and its origins and understands that liberation from suffering is possible, renunciation arises. Renunciation then lays the foundation for the development of compassion for others who also suffer. This is developed in stages:

<title>Abstract</title> <p> Childhood represents a critical developmental period during which early experiences shape psychological trajectories across the lifespan. Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) is among the most prevalent forms of early adversity, consistently associated with compromised psychological functioning and reduced subjective wellbeing in adulthood. Yet, despite these well-established negative consequences, a growing body of research points to psychological resilience factors that may account for the pathways linking early maltreatment to adult outcomes. Self-compassion, a core component of mindfulness, has emerged as one such resilience factor. Survivors of CEM often struggle with developing self-compassionate attitudes due to early relational trauma that disrupts healthy self-regard patterns, yet the specific role of self-compassion in explaining these associations remains incompletely understood. <bold>Objective:</bold> The present study examined these variables together in an exploratory model, hypothesizing that CEM would be associated with lower self-compassion, which in turn would be associated with reduced subjective wellbeing in adulthood. <bold>Method:</bold> This study included 693 adults who completed validated self-report measures of CEM, self-compassion, and subjective wellbeing. Path analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effect of CEM on subjective wellbeing through self-compassion, controlling for Iron Swords war-related stress, age, and gender. <bold>Results:</bold> The proposed model explained 56% of the variance in subjective wellbeing. Higher levels of CEM were negatively associated with both self-compassion (β = -.59, p < .001) and subjective wellbeing. CEM demonstrated a significant indirect effect on subjective wellbeing through self-compassion (b = -0.34, 95% CI [-0.39, -0.29]), accounting for approximately 49% of the total association. This indirect pathway remained robust when controlling for all covariates. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> These findings underscore the central role of self-compassion as a psychological resource linking CEM to adult subjective wellbeing. Self-compassion represents a promising and modifiable target for mindfulness-based clinical interventions among CEM survivors, highlighting the value of strength-based approaches in supporting long-term psychological recovery and potentially interrupting negative developmental cascades following early emotional trauma <bold>.</bold> </p>

<h4>Introduction</h4>Optimism and self-compassion are increasingly recognized as psychological resources relevant to academic stress regulation, yet their complementary roles among first-year university students remain theoretically underintegrated and empirically limited.<h4>Methods</h4>This narrative review synthesizes empirical and theoretical research drawing on 44 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, employing structured search procedures to identify converging and divergent findings across four domains: direct associations, mediation and moderation processes, cultural and contextual influences, and intervention-related outcomes.<h4>Results</h4>Across studies, both traits are generally associated with adaptive coping and lower perceived stress, although the strength and consistency of these relationships vary across contexts and study designs. Evidence regarding their interaction remains limited, with most findings derived from cross-sectional data. Cultural factors appear to shape how these traits are expressed and experienced, particularly in contexts where norms surrounding emotional expression and achievement differ.<h4>Discussion</h4>Based on these patterns, the review proposes a dual-pathway conceptual framework distinguishing cognitive (optimism) and emotional (self-compassion) processes in academic stress regulation. This framework is intended as a heuristic model rather than an empirically validated mechanism. Methodological limitations, including reliance on cross-sectional designs and limited cultural diversity, are critically evaluated. The review highlights the need for longitudinal, culturally sensitive research to better understand these relationships and inform approaches to supporting student wellbeing during the first-year transition.

<h4>Introduction</h4>Self-compassion, directing kindness toward oneself during difficult experiences, has been linked to lower anxiety, depression, and stress throughout the cancer trajectory. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically review existing findings, calculate aggregated effect sizes, and examine cancer phase (acute vs. survivorship) as a potential moderator.<h4>Methods</h4>A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 studies (3,626 participants across 13 countries) was conducted, assessing associations between self-compassion and anxiety (14 studies), depression (20), and stress (14) in cancer populations. PsycInfo, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched on June 6, 2025.<h4>Results</h4>Medium-to-large negative associations were found between self-compassion and both anxiety and stress, and a large negative association with depression. Cancer phase moderated the relationship with stress, showing a stronger effect in survivorship than in the acute phase.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Self-compassion appears protective against psychological distress in cancer patients, especially during survivorship. Tailoring self-compassion-based interventions to cancer phase may enhance their effectiveness.

the extent to which marijuana has negative psychological consequences probably depends on whether or … the self, a phenomenon aptly called self-compassion. Self-compassion refers to “experiencing feelings of … that people high in self-compassion were just as likely as people low in self-compassion to describe themselves