Measuring self-compassion in dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self-compassion in dementia: validation study of the 12-item self-compassion scale (SCS-SF) and exploring its correlations with wellbeing
IRAS ID
311460
Contact name
Jessica Baggaley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 25 days
Research summary
Self-compassion is being kinder and less judgemental/critical towards ourselves and has been associated with wellbeing and positive ageing in older adults. Self-compassion has only recently begun to be explored for people living with dementia and a limitation of the existing research is the lack of a validated self-compassion questionnaire for people living with dementia (Craig et al., 2018). This is a significant barrier for future research as self-compassion cannot be reliably measured and explored in dementia.
The proposed study, funded by the University of Hull, aims to investigate the reliability and validity of the 12 item Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF; Raes et al., 2011) and explore its correlations with wellbeing, for people living with dementia. Within this, the study will be asking: Is the SCS-SF a reliable and valid measure of self-compassion for people living with dementia? What are the underlying dimensions and factor structure of the SCS-SF for people living with dementia? Does self-compassion measured using the SCS-SF correlate with wellbeing in people living with dementia? A voluntary sample of participants living with dementia will be recruited using online advertisement and advertisement across national organisations (e.g., Join Dementia Research, Dementia UK, Alzheimer’s Society), local dementia charities and the NHS. Participants will complete an online questionnaire (paper version available on request) including the SCS-SF and measures of wellbeing, self-esteem, and depression for which the scale will be validated against during analysis.
Not only will this study fill a gap in the existing literature, but by validating a measure of self-compassion for people living with dementia it will remove a significant barrier for future research and provide a tool to help evaluate the usefulness of interventions (e.g., support/skills groups), therefore having the potential to inform the future development of interventions supporting people to live well with dementia.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/YH/0182
Date of REC Opinion
8 Sep 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion