2 min readWashingtonSep 22, 2011 06:14 PM IST
First published on: Sep 22, 2011 at 06:14 PM IST
A new study has found the self-compassion is a key element that helps one cope with the distress of a divorce.
Psychologist David A. Sbarra said that a combination of kindness toward oneself,recognition of common humanity,and the ability to let painful emotions pass ‘can promote resilience and positive outcomes in the face of divorce’.
Sbarra,who conducted the study with University of Arizona colleagues Hillary L. Smith and Matthias R. Mehl,claimed that this trait helps one adjust better shortly after divorce and up to nine months later.
“We’re not interested in the basic statement,’People who are coping better today do better nine months from now’. That doesn’t help anybody”,said Sbarra.
“The surprising part here is that when we look at a bunch of positive characteristics,this one characteristic—self-compassion— uniquely predicts good outcomes”,he added.
The study involved 105 people,38 men and 67 women,whose mean age was about 40; they’d been married over 13 years and divorced an average of three to four months.
The findings showed that the people with high levels of self-compassion recovered faster and were doing better after a few months of their divorces.
The study was published in Psychological Science.
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