Exploring themes of self compassion in retrospective accounts of adults who self-injured in adolescence

<p dir="ltr">Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant health issue, particularly for adolescents, and is associated with increased psychopathology and comorbidity. Self-compassion (SC) has been proposed as a possible protective factor against NSSI behaviours. This qualitative study explored retrospective accounts of adults who had self-injured in adolescence, specifically their perceived reasons for ceasing NSSI and advice they would offer to adolescents currently self-injuring. Participants included 724 adults aged 18 to 61, who reported self-injuring at least once during adolescence. These participants responded to two qualitative questions, which were part of a larger survey. Participants free-text responses were analysed using directed content analysis to determine the extent to which themes related to Neff’s (2016) Model of SC were present, as well as identify other prominent themes distinct from SC. Themes of SC and Compassion Towards Others were prominent in participant responses. Other notable themes, distinct from Neff’s (2016) Model of SC, included Growth, Reasoning, Agency, Consequences, and Responses from Others. These findings grant insight into how people who self-injure regard their own experiences of self-injury. These insights raise interesting considerations regarding how SC and other personal strengths may relate to cessation of NSSI and other aspects of recovery. There may be grounds to examine identified themes further in the context of compassion-focused therapy and online peer-support interventions.</p>