Can self-compassion and mindfulness predict psychological wellbeing in individuals with endometriosis? Findings from an online survey.
Federica Facchin, Francesca Grosso, Emanuela Saita, Paolo Vercellini, Francesco Pagnini
BMC Women's Health July 4, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-025-03852-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 653 |
| Population | Adults aged 18 years or older self-reporting a clinical or surgical diagnosis of endometriosis, recruited online |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Endometriosis Cross-sectional studies Empathy Self concept Mental health Adolescent Middle aged Female Young adult Self report Surveys and questionnaires Pelvic pain Psychological wellbeing Self-compassion |
| Key findings | Self-compassion and mindfulness were each positively correlated with psychological wellbeing, and together they significantly increased explained variance (ΔR2 = 0.315) after controlling for confounders. In the final model, only self-compassion remained significantly associated with psychological wellbeing. The authors argue that self-compassion is an important protective factor and should be promoted in psychological treatment for endometriosis, especially among younger and recently diagnosed individuals. |
Abstract
Background: Endometriosis presents diagnostic challenges and has profound impacts, encompassing physical and psychological symptoms, relationship difficulties, and disruptions in daily life. The emotional burden is pervasive, intensified by feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, and shame. Despite extensive exploration of risk factors such as pelvic pain, knowledge about protective factors for mental health in this population is limited. Thus, this study aims to investigate whether self-compassion and mindfulness are associated with enhanced psychological wellbeing in individuals with endometriosis.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 653 participants aged 18 years or older, self-reporting a clinical or surgical diagnosis of endometriosis. Data collection occurred online via Qualtrics from May 11 to August 24, 2022. Sociodemographic and endometriosis-related data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Psychological wellbeing, self-compassion, and mindfulness were assessed using validated self-report questionnaires.
Results: Out of 1,153 survey accesses, 653 participants (75%) provided complete responses and were included. Self-compassion and mindfulness exhibited a positive correlation with psychological wellbeing. In a hierarchical multiple regression model, controlling for confounding factors, both variables significantly increased the explained variance (ΔR2 = 0.315). However, only the association between psychological wellbeing and self-compassion remained statistically significant.
Conclusions: Self-compassion emerges as an important protective factor for psychological wellbeing in the context of endometriosis. These findings, coupled with recent studies, emphasize the significance of promoting self-compassion in the psychological treatment of individuals with endometriosis, especially among the young and recently diagnosed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Intervention effect on the psychophysiological marker of self-regulation in women with endometriosis-related chronic pain. Journal of Pain July 1, 2023
- Prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use among US adults: A nationally representative survey. Scientific Reports November 10, 2016