Stressed, depressed, and rank obsessed: Individual differences in compassion and neuroticism predispose towards rank‐based depressive symptomatology

Abstract

Objectives. As social creatures, we monitor our relative rank and/or status with others via social comparisons. Whilst research has identified perceptions of inferiority or 'low rank' relative to others is a robust predictor of depressive, anxious, and stress symptomology, to date individual differences have been ignored. We wish to provide empirical evidence to outline how differences across personality traits may interact with social rank variables to buffer or predispose towards depressive symptomology.Methods. Across three independent samples (N = 595), we replicated a social rank model of mental health, and with our third sample (N = 200), we sought to investigate attenuating roles for neuroticism versus compassion with multiple moderated regression models.Results. Neuroticism predicted greater levels of rank-associated depression, and compassion failed to function as a protective factor for rank-associated depression. However, a closer inspection of the original Big-5 factor structure positions this scale as a measure of 'interpersonal submissiveness' or 'conflict appeasement' rather than genuine compassion.Conclusions. Whilst it is necessary to delineate the conditions where compassion is appropriate and able to lead to positive mental health outcomes, we argue this cannot be addressed with the Big-5 measure of trait compassion. We call for future work to consider valid and reliable measures for compassion, such as the self-compassion scale, submissive compassion scale, and fears of compassion scale, to more fully address how compassion may protect against both rank-based comparisons and severity of depression.

COVID-19 Lockdown and Mental Health in a Sample Population in Spain: The Role of Self-Compassion

“…Self-compassion has been associated with lower levels of emotional distress [25,26]. In fact, training in self-compassion has proved to be effective in reducing emotional distress [27][28][29].…”

Attachment styles modulate neural markers of threat and imagery when engaging in self-criticism

“…A key feature of mental health difficulties is the way people develop and form internal representations of the self that then become a source of self-judgment, self-evaluation, and self-criticism. Indeed, one of the most important risk-factors for mental health difficulties is heightened and pathological self-criticism 1 – 3 . Self-criticism has been implicated in depression, anxiety and social phobia 4 , 5 , and there is substantial evidence that self-criticism can impede recovery from mental health challenges 1 , 6 .…”

“…2 The Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 3 School of Allied Health and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK. * email: Jeffrey.kim@uqconnect.edu.au children have increased amygdala response during threat, and reduced grey matter volume in the hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate gyrus 22 .…”

Peculiarities of Self-Image Dependence of the Students with High Level of Neuroticity

“…The issue of creating a basic contractual model that would facilitate the dialogue among experts on neurotic disorders remains relevant today (Wegemer, 2020;Simoncic et al, 2014). It is with the Self-concept that most experts in this field associate the basic defect in terms of neuroses (Adler, 2002;Horney, 1994;Rogers, 2012;Kohut, 2009;Kernberg, 2001;Zaharov, 2000;Mjasishchev, 2013;Kim et al 2020;Basiuk, 2009;Jeronimus et al, 2013). However, their researches in most cases are based on the clinical position of the vision of neuroses.…”