The ups and downs of self-criticism and disordered eating: Complementing Paranjothy and Wade's (2024) analysis by considering both trait and state perspectives.

Paranjothy and Wade's (2024) meta-review reveals that individuals higher in the personality trait of self-criticism consistently experience more disordered eating than those lower in the trait. The clinical implications of this meta-review are important in that they suggest current theoretical models and clinical practices in the field of eating disorders should incorporate a greater focus on self-criticism. Building on this exciting contribution, we highlight conceptual, practical, and empirical reasons why the field would benefit from supplementing this research on trait self-criticism with investigations of state self-criticism. We review research showing that self-criticism levels vary not only between individuals, with some people chronically more self-critical than others, but also within a person, with a given individual enacting relatively more self-criticism during some moments and days than others. We then present emerging research showing that these periods of higher-than-usual self-criticism are associated with more disordered eating. Thus, we emphasize the need to explore the factors that give rise to self-critical states in daily life, and review preliminary findings on this topic. We highlight the ways in which research on within-person variations in self-criticism can complement research on trait self-criticism to advance case formulation, prevention, and treatment in the field of eating disorders.

Self-compassion promotes positive mental health in women with anorexia nervosa: A two-week daily diary study.

Despite the importance of positive mental health, little is known about its facilitators in people with eating disorders (EDs). Drawing on past research, we hypothesized that self-compassion might be a contributing factor to positive mental health in individuals with EDs. In a two-week daily diary study of women (N = 32) with anorexia nervosa, we investigated whether self-compassion levels-on average, on a given day, and from one day to the next-predicted social safeness (i.e. a sense of social connection and warmth) and positive affect, both indicators of positive mental health. Multilevel modeling revealed that, controlling for ED symptoms, (1) higher daily self-compassion, (2) increases in self-compassion from the previous day, and (3) higher trait self-compassion, were associated with greater positive affect and social safeness. Findings suggest that in addition to reducing ED symptoms in people with EDs, as documented by prior research, the cultivation of self-compassion might facilitate improved emotional and social well-being in this population.

A two-week daily diary study examining the association between daily self-compassion and symptoms of bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVES: Individuals with symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN) are more likely to binge and purge on days of greater negative affect. Given that self-compassion helps individuals cope more adaptively with distress, the present study examined the contribution of daily fluctuations in self-compassion to eating disorder symptoms in women who endorse symptoms of BN. The directionality of these associations was also examined. METHOD: For 2 weeks, 124 women who met the DSM-5 criteria for BN completed nightly measures of their daily eating pathology and self-compassion. RESULTS: Self-compassion levels varied almost as much within a person from day-to-day as between-persons (i.e., from one person to the next). Multilevel modeling revealed that within persons, higher daily levels of self-compassion were associated with a reduced probability of both binge eating and inappropriate compensation, and lower levels of dietary restraint and clinical impairment. Secondary analyses revealed that these variables mutually influenced one another within but not across days. Between persons, higher mean levels of self-compassion over the 2 weeks were associated with less dietary restraint and clinical impairment but were unrelated to binge eating and compensatory behaviors. DISCUSSION: For women who report symptoms consistent with BN, responding to daily distress with greater self-compassion than usual may attenuate the psychosocial and behavioral symptoms of their eating disorder. Similarly, days of reduced eating pathology may facilitate self-compassion. Future research using experimental paradigms and ecological momentary assessments may shed further light on the ways in which self-compassion and eating pathology relate to one another in this population.

Why would I want to be more self-compassionate? A qualitative study of the pros and cons to cultivating self-compassion in individuals with anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Although self-compassion facilitates eating disorder symptom remission, individuals with eating disorders are fearful of developing it and higher fears of self-compassion are associated with poorer treatment outcomes. In-depth exploration of individuals' pros and cons of behaviour change is generally helpful at resolving ambivalence; however, no research has examined the pros and cons individuals with eating disorders perceive to be associated with developing self-compassion, limiting our understanding of their personal experiences when confronted with self-compassion. Given the research suggesting higher resistance to self-compassion development in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), the present study used qualitative methods to gain a deeper understanding of their perceived pros and cons to self-compassion. METHODS: Thirty-seven women with typical (64%) and atypical (36%) AN signed up for a study on self-help strategies for daily distress. Upon learning that the intervention would entail cultivating self-compassion, they identified their perceived pros and cons of developing self-compassion by typing them out. RESULTS: Thematic analysis was used to extract themes. Three superordinate cons and four superordinate pros of self-compassion emerged. Perceived cons were as follows: self-compassion leading to personal shortcomings; apprehension and doubt about the efficacy of self-compassion; and emotional challenges associated with developing self-compassion. Perceived pros were as follows: improved health; personal development (e.g., growth, coping); improved outlook; and enhanced social relationships. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal the various advantages and disadvantages that women with AN perceive to be associated with developing self-compassion. Results may help clinicians work more sensitively and effectively when trying to cultivate self-compassion in patients who have AN. PRACTITIONER POINTS: This research suggests that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) perceive various disadvantages to cultivating self-compassion, but also certain advantages. By familiarizing themselves with the pros and cons to self-compassion identified by individuals with AN, clinicians may be able to more effectively listen to and communicate with their patients about ambivalence about self-compassion development. Clinicians may want to listen for and explore concerns in their AN patients that self-compassion will lead to personal shortcomings, fail to be beneficial, and be emotionally challenging. Clinicians may want to listen for and help patients elaborate upon their beliefs about how self-compassion might benefit their outlook, health, personal development, and relationships.

A daily diary study of self-compassion and adaptive coping behaviours in women with symptoms of bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Mental health is more than the absence of illness and includes the ability to cope adaptively with stress. To shed light on the factors that promote mental health in people with eating disorders, this daily diary study examined whether daily and trait levels of self-compassion predict adaptive coping behaviours in women with symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN). METHODS: Women (N = 124) who met the DSM-5 criteria for BN completed 2 weeks of nightly measures assessing their daily level of self-compassion and their daily adaptive coping behaviours, namely, their use of problem-solving strategies, seeking and receiving of instrumental social support, and seeking and receiving of emotional social support. RESULTS: Multilevel modelling revealed that on days when self-compassion levels were higher than their personal mean level or than the preceding day's level, participants reported greater use of problem-solving strategies, greater seeking and receiving of instrumental social support, and greater receiving of emotional social support. Daily levels of self-compassion, but not increased self-compassion from the preceding day, were associated with emotional support sought. Further, higher trait self-compassion, as measured by participants' mean level of self-compassion over the 2 weeks, was associated with increased seeking and receiving of instrumental and emotional social support but not with problem-solving strategies. All models controlled for participants' daily and mean eating pathology over the 2 weeks, highlighting the unique contribution of self-compassion to adaptive coping behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that self-compassion may help individuals with symptoms of BN cope with challenges in their daily life more adaptively, an integral component of positive mental health. The present study is among the first to suggest that the benefits of self-compassion for individuals with eating disorder symptoms may lie not only in facilitating reduced eating pathology, as evidenced by prior research, but also in promoting positive mental health. More broadly, findings underscore the potential value of interventions designed to build self-compassion in individuals with eating disorder symptoms.

There is a call in the eating disorder field to identify factors that not only reduce eating disorder symptoms, but also promote positive mental health. Yet, the factors that interventions might target to accomplish both of these goals remain relatively unknown. Self-compassion, which is a way of responding to personal distress with care and understanding, has been linked to fewer eating disorder symptoms. In non-eating disorder populations, self-compassion also promotes adaptive coping behaviours, including problem-solving and calling on others for support, key aspects of mental health. To test whether these benefits of self-compassion extend to people with eating disorders, we had women with symptoms of bulimia nervosa complete questionnaires about their daily level of self-compassion and their daily adaptive coping behaviours every night for 2 weeks. We found that on days when women were more self-compassionate than usual or more self-compassionate than the day before, they reported using more adaptive coping strategies. Further, individuals who were generally more self-compassionate than others over the 2 weeks reported receiving more social support from others. Our results are the first to suggest that, by treating themselves with compassion, individuals with eating disorder symptoms may cope more effectively with challenges in daily life.

The Perfect Storm: Mapping the Life Course Trajectories of Serial Killers.

Since the 1970s, scholars have produced a large body of research attempting to establish the mechanisms by which sexual serial killers come to arrive at a life of repeat fatal violence. From the standpoint of developmental psychology, however, the explanations offered are far too limited in scope. Human development is the product of complex reciprocal transactions that occur between an individual and their environment throughout their life span. This present study is meant to encourage a critical reconsideration of past knowledge (mainly static traits) in favor of the recognition of the complexity of human development. Using life span developmental psychology as a guiding framework, this study traces the developmental mechanisms that come together to shape the psychopathology that drives the motivations of sexual serial killers.