Sexual violence and mental health: an analysis of the mediating role of self-compassion using a feminist lens

Abstract

Using the feminist critique of the cognitive model of trauma, this study explored the potential mediating effects of self-compassion (self-warmth and self-criticism) on the association between experiencing sexual violence and negative mental health outcomes. Race and sexual orientation were explored as contextual variables. The sample consisted of 368 women (88.6% white, 94.6% heterosexual/straight) recruited from two semesters of a large undergraduate class who completed an online survey at three time points throughout the semester. A path analysis revealed that having experienced sexual violence prior to the beginning of the semester was positively associated with self-criticism, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms at the end of the semester directly and indirectly through self-compassion mid-semester. Specifically, while there was evidence that self-criticism amplified the negative effect of sexual violence on mental health outcomes, there was limited evidence that self-warmth buffered these effects. Future research is needed on how survivors of sexual violence are conceptualizing the core concepts of self-compassion in order to improve both measurement and treatment.