A meta‐analysis of self‐compassion and attachment in adults

Hill, Charlotte; Vasiliou, Vasilis S.; Sirois, Fuschia M.; Hughes, Olivia; Thompson, Andrew R.

Abstract

Objective: Attachment might shape the extent to which a person is self‐compassionate. Despite the plethora of research examining attachment and self‐compassion, no previous systematic review has quantified the magnitude of the associations between self‐compassion and different attachment dimensions.

Design: Random‐effects meta‐analyses examined the magnitude of the associations of self‐compassion with anxious, avoidant, and secure attachment, using correlational effects (r‐value). Moderator analyses tested whether the effects varied as a function of participant age, sex, population type (students vs. community sample) and attachment measure used within studies.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature using SCOPUS, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases retrieved 37 eligible studies.

Results: The meta‐analyses revealed a medium effect size for the positive association between self‐compassion with secure attachment, ravg = .395, 95% CI [0.248, 0.524], and medium and small effect sizes for the negative associations with anxious attachment, ravg = −.282, 95% CI [−0.329, −0.233], and avoidant attachment, ravg = −.280, 95% CI [−0.320, −0.240]. Moderator analyses indicate that the magnitude of associations with avoidant attachment varied as a function of participant age and population type (students vs. community samples).

Conclusions: The findings suggest differential associations between self‐compassion and attachment dimensions. Self‐compassion was positively associated with secure attachment, while the reverse was found for insecure attachment. Negative associations between self‐compassion and avoidant attachment were larger for older individuals. Ageing populations may be vulnerable to lower self‐compassion when already more prone to experiencing avoidant attachment. Compassion‐focused therapy may be an effective therapeutic option when working with individuals reliant on anxious or avoidant attachment dimensions.

Citation

Hill, C., Vasiliou, V. S., Sirois, F. M., Hughes, O., & Thompson, A. R. (online). A meta‐analysis of self‐compassion and attachment in adults. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12590

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 25, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Apr 4, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 10, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 10, 2025
• Journal: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-8341
• Publisher: The British Psychological Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12590
• Keywords: meta‐analysis, self‐compassion, attachment, moderators, attachment dimensions
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3781037