Personality Psychopathology & The Role of Self-Compassion

Previous research has examined the relationship between particular personality disorders (PDs) and self-compassion. However, this work has not extended to the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD), which was proposed in Section III of the DSM-5. The current study aimed to use self-compassion, synonymous with self- empathy, one of the elements of functional impairment in the AMPD, to support the idea that empathy is a multifaceted construct and highlight associations between self- compassion and personality psychopathology. The study used Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in addition to Criterion A (elements of personality functioning) and Criterion B (pathological traits) of the AMPD in order to observe associations between PDs and self-compassion. The findings can help to establish working treatment methods for individuals with PDs as well as provide support for the hybrid dimensional-categorical model.