Abstract
A growing evidence base supports self-compassion as an important quality for promoting physical health. This research has demonstrated that self-compassion can have positive consequences for a range of inter-related physical health trajectories and outcomes including subjective health, stress, sleep, and health behaviors. This chapter draws on insights from self-regulation and behavior change theory to critically review current evidence outlining the key pathways and processes that may explain how and why responding to one’s failures and shortcomings with kindness, connectedness, and mindfulness may promote physical health. A new model of self-compassion and health that incorporates these insights is introduced to provide a provisional framework to conceptually organize current research on the possible routes and processes linking self-compassion to health. The Triadic Pathway model highlights the synergistic nature of three key health pathways and the self-regulation processes linking self-compassion to each. As the field of self-compassion and health continues to advance, the new model shows promise for guiding future research and enhancing our understanding of the role of self-compassion in maximizing health-promoting trajectories and minimizing health-risk trajectories.
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Sirois, F.M. (2023). A Triadic Pathway Model of Self-Compassion and Health. In: Finlay-Jones, A., Bluth, K., Neff, K. (eds) Handbook of Self-Compassion. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22348-8_18
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