Abstract
In this chapter, we present a stress-and-coping model of self-forgiveness and health. Three propositions are built from the seminal transactional model of stress and coping and the stress-and-coping model of forgiveness. The three propositions of the stress-and-coping model of self-forgiveness include: (1) self-condemnation is stressful; (2) self-forgiveness can be used to cope with the stressful effects of self-condemnation; and (3) self-forgiveness is related to health. Studies bearing on these propositions are briefly reviewed. Research is rapidly growing and supportive of the proposition that self-forgiveness is related to health, but studies examining the stressfulness of unforgiveness and the efficacy of self-forgiveness as a coping mechanism for self-condemnation are needed. There are countless applications of self-forgiveness in the promotion of health and wellness, and the relevance of self-forgiveness to students, interpersonal relationships, and workers is highlighted.
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Toussaint, L.L., Webb, J.R., Hirsch, J.K. (2017). Self-Forgiveness and Health: A Stress-and-Coping Model. In: Woodyatt, L., Worthington, Jr., E., Wenzel, M., Griffin, B. (eds) Handbook of the Psychology of Self-Forgiveness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60573-9_7
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