McGill Study finds self compassion linked to good well-being
Posted September 9, 2026 7:49 pm.
A new study from McGill University has found that having compassion for oneself has been linked to good well-being.
Researchers have found that caring for others without caring for oneself can lead to lower levels of well-being, which may not be sustainable.
“Many people, especially caregivers, educators, health professionals, parents and activists, may be very caring toward others while being harsh or neglectful toward themselves. Our findings suggest that this imbalance may be linked to poorer mental health,” said Bassam Khoury, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at the McGill University Faculty of Education and lead author of the study.
“Self-compassion may help people regulate difficult emotions, reduce self-criticism and create a sense of inner safety. In this sense, it is not selfish or self-indulgent; it is a foundation for sustainable care for others and the ability to extend compassion to all sentient beings,” he added.
The study was conducted alongside researchers from the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación and the Centro Nacional De Inteligencia Artificial (CENIA) in Santiago, Chile.
During the study, researchers monitored over 1,200 Canadians, looking at various aspects of compassion, mental health and well-being, and whether people showed compassion for other human beings, animals and/or themselves.
From their findings, they were able to establish six “compassion profiles,” which they correlated with different psychological characteristics, such as stress, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation and well-being.
Researchers found that those who showed the most compassion to others, animals, and themselves showed the best psychological functioning and highest levels of well-being.
Researchers say they’ll be looking into more diverse samples in the future.
For more on the study, click here.
