Abstract/Summary

Self-compassion has been found useful in supporting resilience and well-being when tested in general populations and can be especially useful during periods that are prone to rumination and isolation. Little is known about the nature and importance of self-compassion in informal caregivers of older adults. Yet informal caregivers often experience such psychological burdens when providing care for their loved one. Many are themselves older adults, and their time away from others’ expectations – in solitude – is a potential resource for self-care. The work developed within this thesis aimed to build an understanding of self-compassion as a resource for caregivers (the first two empirical papers, Chapters 2 and 3), and during solitude moments in middle and older adults (the final empirical chapter, Chapter 4). Chapter 2 explores the definition and meaning of self-compassion for caregivers through interviews, providing a foundation for later research in this population. For these caregivers, the concept of self-compassion involved identifying one’s own needs and prioritising them. Self-compassion was accessed through a mindset in which challenges were viewed with clarity and acceptance, and boundaries were maintained through protecting a separate identity. Feeling connected with other people was important to protect from ‘aloneness’. However, barriers to self-compassion were experienced when compromises were necessary to fulfil recipients’ needs and where demands on caregivers’ resources were particularly high. This research highlighted that ‘self-care’ and ‘self-kindness’ were central to self-compassion. In Chapter 3, the utility of self-compassionate writing for caregivers was tested, with caregivers writing about difficult caregiving experiences with self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness (the three self-compassion components). Studies 2 and 3 showed self-kindness was particularly important for well-being in caregivers, and in Study 4 common humanity and self-kindness were most strongly linked with beneficial mood outcomes (higher serenity, less guilt, and less sadness). Findings from this research, and from the literature, showed that caregivers of older adults were often middle and older adults themselves, caring for a spouse or an older parent. It was further highlighted that their solitude was a vulnerable time for rumination and isolation when individuals are in difficult circumstances, but also potentially as a time for great self-care with the right mindset. The final empirical chapter spanning Studies 5 and 6 highlighted that, of three self-compassion constructs (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness), self-kindness was a particularly robust correlate of better mood (higher serenity; less sadness; Study 5). Findings from research with a young adult sample (Study 5) helped shape a targeted intervention for older adults in Study 6. Middle and older adult participants therefore engaged in planned solitude experiences targeted towards self-kindness, specifically (Study 6). Those who completed self-kindness activities in planned solitude experienced greater serenity and vitality. In all, self-kindness appeared to be an important facilitator for increasing self-compassion in young, middle, and older adults, and was also important for caregiving populations.