The moderated associations of self-compassion with physiological and psychological stress responses: Comparisons between cancer caregivers and non-caregivers

Abstract

Self-compassion has been shown to be protective against stress. Whether its stress buffering effect differs between cancer caregivers and non-caregivers is unknown. This study examined the moderating effect of self-compassion among cancer caregivers relative to non-caregivers by recruiting cancer caregivers from the hospital and a community sample matching on sex and age. Participants completed a questionnaire which comprised the self-reported anxiety (STAI-6) and self-compassion (SCS-SF) measures, and administered cortisol sample collections with Salivette tubes at home. Whereas caregivers experienced higher diurnal cortisol level, the differential protective effects of self-compassion were only present against anxiety symptoms but not physiological stress.

Effects of Self-compassion on Diurnal Cortisol Pattern via Positive Affect in Colorectal Cancer Survivors

“…The links between affect and diurnal cortisol pattern in cancer patients (Castonguay et al, 2017;Wang & Hoyt, 2018) suggest a potential mediating role for affect between self-compassion and diurnal cortisol pattern. A recent study (Chan et al, 2021) has found moderating effects of selfcompassion against anxiety symptoms but not physiological stress in cancer caregivers.…”