‘Self compassion is dangerous’: a qualitative exploration of self compassion in an Irish primary care mental health sample

Empirical research has demonstrated a wide range of beneficial outcomes for cultivating self compassion in people with mental health difficulties (Gilbert et al. 2010a, Neff et al. 2003b). Emerging research also suggests people can experience a multitude of barriers when attempting to develop self compassion (Gilbert et al. 2014). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and barriers to cultivating self compassion in an Irish Primary Care mental health sample to expand on the predominately quantitative evidence base. The sample was derived from a GP Practice in a Southern region of Ireland. Eleven participants with a diagnosis of Depression, and/or an Anxiety disorder attended individual semistructured interviews. The audio recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Template analysis (Crabtree et al. 1992). The emerged themes are as follows; Diverging perceptions: 'self pity' versus 'self promotion', Socio-Cultural Effects, ‘Emptiness' and Mental Health difficulties, Distrust: 'It's not allowed', and ‘Seeing the Colours': Recovery. The superordinate and subordinate themes are contextualised within the current literature, and the clinical implications are discussed. The strengths and limitations of the research are explored with reference to recommendations for further research.