Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in Greek-Cypriot Youth: A Validation Study

Iosif, D (Despoina)¹, Ioannou, M (Myria), Theofanous, A (Artemis), Nikolaou, P (Patrisia), Karekla, M (Maria)^1
1University of Cyprus

 

Submission type

Poster only

Scheduled

Hallway, 22-07-2016, 16:00 - 17:00

Keywords

G-SCS, Validity, Reliability

Summary

Self-compassion is defined as a person’s kind and understanding attitude to oneself, unlike being ruthlessly self-critical when failure occurs. Self-compassion encompasses one’s ability to perceive experiences holistically and deal with painful feelings and thoughts with mindfulness. Research interest on self-compassion has risen, with studies demonstrating correlates with positive mental health. Therefore, it is critical to validate measures across cultures and populations. The 26-item self-compassion scale (SCS), assesses Self-kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness, Self-judgment, Isolation and Over-identification. This study examined the factor structure and validity of the Greek version of the SCS. Participants were 167 students (83.23% female; Mage=21.52, SD=2.73). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) showed excellent fit for all six subscales and all items had statistically significant estimates on the six factors. Whole scale CFA showed high and significant correlations between the latent factors of isolation, self-judgment, over-identification, mindfulness, common humanity and self-kindness. This suggested the existence of two second-order factors, negative aspect and self-compassion. The second-order CFA had acceptable fit, with χ2(282)= 491.477 (p<.001), CFI= .908, RMSEA= .067 (90% CI .057, .077), SRMR= .084. Moreover, G-SCS demonstrated good psychometric properties, with good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=.84). Overall, the G-SCS is a valid and reliable measure of self-compassion for Greek speaking youth.

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