SCS: Self-Compassion Scale

Reviewed by: Constantin Rezlescu | Associate Professor | UCL Psychology

Introduction

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a 26-item measure designed to assess self-compassion—the ability to hold one’s feelings of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection, and concern. Developed by Kristin Neff (2003), the SCS operationalizes self-compassion as having three main components: self-kindness (versus self-judgment), common humanity (versus isolation), and mindfulness (versus over-identification). This scale has become a standard tool for measuring self-compassion and has contributed to understanding how individuals relate to their difficulties and imperfections.

Self-Compassion: A Healthier Way to Relate to Oneself

Self-compassion involves treating oneself with the same kindness, care, and understanding that one would offer to a good friend during times of failure, inadequacy, or suffering. Unlike self-esteem, which focuses on positive self-evaluation and can be fragile, self-compassion entails accepting oneself compassionately regardless of perceived successes or failures. Research indicates that self-compassion is linked to greater emotional resilience, psychological wellbeing, and healthier relationships, without the downsides associated with self-esteem such as narcissism, social comparison, or contingent self-worth (Neff & Vonk, 2009).

Three Interrelated Components

The SCS assesses self-compassion through three core dimensions, each measured with positive and negative poles:

1. Self-Kindness vs. Self-Judgment

• Self-Kindness: Being warm and understanding toward oneself when suffering or feeling inadequate, rather than ignoring pain or being self-critical.
• Self-Judgment: Being harshly critical and judgmental about one’s own flaws and inadequacies.
• Balance: Compassionate self-relating versus self-condemnation.

2. Common Humanity vs. Isolation

• Common Humanity: Recognizing that suffering and feelings of inadequacy are part of the shared human experience—something all people go through rather than something that happens to “me” alone.
• Isolation: Feeling separated and isolated from others by one’s suffering, as if one were the only person having difficulties.
• Balance: Connection versus separation in suffering.

3. Mindfulness vs. Over-Identification

• Mindfulness: Taking a balanced approach to negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated; observing thoughts and feelings as they are without trying to suppress or deny them.
• Over-Identification: Getting caught up in and carried away by negative thoughts and feelings, ruminating and fixating on everything that’s wrong.
• Balance: Balanced awareness versus absorption in pain.

Theoretical Foundation

Self-compassion integrates Buddhist psychology with Western psychological science. It combines the Eastern emphasis on compassion and kindness with Western research on self-regulation, attachment, and wellbeing. The construct is particularly relevant to clinical psychology, as harsh self-criticism is a transdiagnostic feature across many mental health problems (Neff, 2003).

Research and Clinical Significance

The SCS has been used in thousands of studies examining self-compassion’s relationships with mental health, physical health, relationships, coping, motivation, and behavioral regulation. It has proven to be a powerful predictor of wellbeing, often more so than self-esteem (Neff, 2011). Self-compassion interventions based on this conceptualization have shown significant benefits for diverse populations and conditions (Neff & Germer, 2013).

Self-compassion offers an alternative to self-esteem—providing psychological benefits without requiring positive self-evaluation or social comparison.

Key Features

Assessment Characteristics

• 26 items providing comprehensive multidimensional assessment
• 5-10 minutes administration time
• Ages 14+ through adult with extensive validation
• 5-point Likert scale for frequency ratings
• Six-factor structure (three components × positive/negative)

Self-Compassion Components Assessed

• Self-Kindness (5 items) – Warmth and understanding toward oneself
• Self-Judgment (5 items) – Harsh self-criticism and condemnation
• Common Humanity (4 items) – Recognizing shared human experience
• Isolation (4 items) – Feeling alone and separate in suffering
• Mindfulness (4 items) – Balanced awareness of painful thoughts/feelings
• Over-Identification (4 items) – Getting caught up in negative reactivity

Research and Clinical Applications

• Clinical psychology – Treatment outcome and mechanism research
• Mental health assessment – Protective factor evaluation
• Intervention development – Self-compassion training programs
• Wellbeing research – Alternative to self-esteem focus
• Compassion-focused therapy – Core outcome measure

View Testable Demo

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Evaluate your ability to be kind and compassionate toward yourself during difficult times and when facing personal shortcomings.

Scoring and Interpretation

Response Format

Participants rate how they typically act toward themselves in difficult times using a 5-point Likert scale:

• 1 = Almost never
• 2 = Rarely (seldom)
• 3 = Sometimes
• 4 = Often
• 5 = Almost always

Sample Items by Subscale

Self-Kindness (5 items):

• “I try to be loving toward myself when I’m feeling emotional pain”
• “When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need”
• “I’m kind to myself when I’m experiencing suffering”
• “I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like”

Self-Judgment (5 items – Reversed):

• “I’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies”
• “When I see aspects of myself that I don’t like, I get down on myself”
• “I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like”
• “When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy”

Common Humanity (4 items):

• “When things are going badly for me, I see the difficulties as part of life that everyone goes through”
• “I try to see my failings as part of the human condition”
• “When I feel inadequate in some way, I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people”

Isolation (4 items – Reversed):

• “When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure”
• “When I think about my inadequacies, it tends to make me feel more separate and cut off from the rest of the world”
• “When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am”

Mindfulness (4 items):

• “When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation”
• “When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance”
• “When I fail at something important to me I try to keep things in perspective”

Over-Identification (4 items – Reversed):

• “When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong”
• “When something upsets me I get carried away with my feelings”
• “When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy”

Scoring Procedure

1. Reverse score Self-Judgment, Isolation, and Over-Identification items (subtract from 6)
2. Calculate subscale means:
   • Self-Kindness: Mean of 5 items
   • Self-Judgment (reversed): Mean of 5 items reversed
   • Common Humanity: Mean of 4 items
   • Isolation (reversed): Mean of 4 items reversed
   • Mindfulness: Mean of 4 items
   • Over-Identification (reversed): Mean of 4 items reversed
3. Total Self-Compassion: Mean of all 26 items (range: 1-5)
4. Higher scores indicate greater self-compassion

Score Interpretation Guidelines

Total Self-Compassion Score Ranges:

• High Self-Compassion (4.0-5.0): Strong compassionate self-relating
• Moderate Self-Compassion (3.0-3.9): Average self-compassion
• Low Self-Compassion (1.0-2.9): Limited compassionate self-relating; harsh self-judgment

Population Norms:

• General adults: M = 3.0, SD = 0.7 (Neff, 2003)
• College students: M = 3.0, SD = 0.8 (Neff, 2003)
• Meditators: M = 3.4, SD = 0.6 (higher than non-meditators) (Neff, 2003)
• Clinical samples: M = 2.5-2.8, SD = 0.8 (various studies)

Subscale Interpretation

Positive components (Self-Kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness):

• High scores indicate active compassionate responses
• Low scores suggest absence of self-supportive responses

Negative components (Self-Judgment, Isolation, Over-Identification):

• High scores (after reversal) indicate less self-criticism
• Low scores (after reversal) indicate harsh self-relating

Profile Analysis

• Balanced high: All components elevated = integrated self-compassion
• High positive/Low negative (reversed): Compassionate but still self-critical
• Low positive/High negative (reversed): Self-critical without compensating kindness
• Component-specific patterns: Target specific deficits in interventions

Clinical Interpretation

• High Self-Judgment (low reversed): Primary target for intervention
• High Isolation (low reversed): Emphasize common humanity work
• High Over-Identification (low reversed): Mindfulness practices needed
• Change ≥0.5 points: Clinically meaningful improvement

Research Evidence and Psychometric Properties

Reliability Evidence

• Internal consistency – Total: α = 0.92 (Neff, 2003)
• Self-Kindness: α = 0.78 (Neff, 2003)
• Self-Judgment: α = 0.77 (Neff, 2003)
• Common Humanity: α = 0.80 (Neff, 2003)
• Isolation: α = 0.79 (Neff, 2003)
• Mindfulness: α = 0.75 (Neff, 2003)
• Over-Identification: α = 0.81 (Neff, 2003)
• Test-retest reliability: r = 0.93 (3-week interval) (Neff, 2003)

Factor Structure and Validity

Factor analysis results:

• Six-factor model: Three components with positive/negative poles (Neff, 2003)
• Higher-order factor: Six factors load on general self-compassion (Neff, 2003)
• Cross-cultural validity: Six-factor structure across cultures (Neff et al., 2019)

Convergent validity:

• Self-esteem: r = 0.58-0.65 (related but distinct) (Neff, 2003)
• Life satisfaction: r = 0.45-0.60 (Neff, 2003)
• Optimism: r = 0.55-0.68 (Neff, 2003)
• Wisdom: r = 0.40-0.55 (Neff, 2003)
• Mindfulness: r = 0.50-0.65 (Neff, 2003)

Discriminant validity:

• Neuroticism: r = -0.55 to -0.65 (Neff, 2003)
• Anxiety: r = -0.55 to -0.65 (Neff, 2003)
• Depression: r = -0.52 to -0.70 (Neff, 2003)
• Rumination: r = -0.50 to -0.65 (Neff, 2003)

Mental Health Research

Depression and anxiety:

• Depression: r = -0.52 to -0.70 with depressive symptoms (Neff, 2003)
• Anxiety: r = -0.55 to -0.65 with anxiety symptoms (Neff, 2003)
• Stress: r = -0.45 to -0.60 with perceived stress (Neff, 2003)
• Protection: Self-compassion buffers against psychopathology (MacBeth & Gumley, 2012)

Wellbeing:

• Life satisfaction: r = 0.45-0.60 (Neff, 2003)
• Happiness: r = 0.50-0.65 (Neff, 2003)
• Positive affect: r = 0.40-0.55 (Neff, 2003)
• Psychological wellbeing: r = 0.55-0.70 (Neff, 2003)

Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem

Comparative advantages of self-compassion:

• Stability: Self-compassion more stable than self-esteem (Neff & Vonk, 2009)
• Failure response: Self-compassion persists after failure; self-esteem drops (Neff & Vonk, 2009)
• Narcissism: Self-compassion unrelated to narcissism; self-esteem positively related (Neff & Vonk, 2009)
• Social comparison: Self-compassion doesn’t require superiority (Neff & Vonk, 2009)
• Contingency: Self-compassion less contingent on outcomes (Neff & Vonk, 2009)

Coping and Resilience Research

Stress coping:

• Adaptive coping: r = 0.40-0.55 with problem-focused coping (Neff, 2003)
• Emotion regulation: r = 0.50-0.65 with effective regulation (Neff, 2003)
• Resilience: r = 0.55-0.70 with psychological resilience (Neff, 2003)

Trauma and adversity:

• PTSD symptoms: r = -0.45 to -0.60 (Neff, 2003)
• Childhood trauma: Self-compassion moderates effects (Neff, 2003)
• Post-traumatic growth: r = 0.40-0.55 (Neff, 2003)

Intervention Research

Self-compassion training:

• Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program: 0.5-1.0 SCS increases (Neff & Germer, 2013)
• Compassion-Focused Therapy: Significant self-compassion improvements (Gilbert & Procter, 2006)
• Brief interventions: 0.3-0.5 point gains with short programs (Neff & Germer, 2013)
• Dose-response: More practice = greater self-compassion (Neff & Germer, 2013)

Clinical outcomes:

• Depression treatment: Self-compassion mediates therapy effects (Neff, 2003)
• Anxiety treatment: Self-compassion training effective (Neff & Germer, 2013)

Health Psychology Research

Physical health:

• Health behaviors: r = 0.25-0.40 with healthy lifestyle (Sirois et al., 2015)
• Chronic illness: Self-compassion aids adaptation (Sirois et al., 2015)
• Pain management: r = -0.30 to -0.45 with pain interference (Sirois et al., 2015)
• Immune function: Positive associations with immunity (Neff, 2003)

Motivation and Achievement

Contrary to concerns:

• Achievement motivation: Self-compassion doesn’t reduce motivation (Neff, 2003)
• Learning from failure: Enhances learning from mistakes (Neff, 2003)
• Academic performance: Self-compassion associated with mastery goals (Neff, 2003)
• Fear of failure: Reduces debilitating fear while maintaining standards (Neff, 2003)

Relationship Research

Interpersonal functioning:

• Relationship satisfaction: r = 0.30-0.45 with relationship quality (Neff, 2003)
• Compassion for others: r = 0.45-0.60 with interpersonal compassion (Neff, 2003)
• Secure attachment: r = 0.35-0.50 with attachment security (Neff, 2003)
• Caregiving: Self-compassion predicts compassionate caregiving (Neff, 2003)

Cross-Cultural Research

Cultural validation:

• 20+ countries: Validated across diverse cultures (Neff et al., 2019)
• Cultural differences: Some variation in means and structure (Neff et al., 2019)
• Asian cultures: Lower means but similar correlates (Neff et al., 2019)
• Measurement invariance: Generally supported with some variations (Neff et al., 2019)

Neuroscience Research

Brain correlates:

• Amygdala reactivity: Self-compassion associated with reduced threat response (Neff, 2003)
• Default mode network: Related to self-referential processing (Neff, 2003)
• Parasympathetic activation: Self-compassion linked to vagal tone (Neff, 2003)

Usage Guidelines and Applications

Primary Clinical Applications

• Mental health assessment – Protective factor and vulnerability evaluation
• Treatment outcome monitoring – Track self-compassion development
• Compassion-focused interventions – Core outcome measure
• Self-criticism treatment – Identify harsh self-relating patterns
• Resilience building – Assess and enhance adaptive self-relating

Clinical Decision Support

• Total SCS <2.5: Significant self-criticism; prioritize self-compassion work
• Low Self-Kindness (<2.5): Build active compassionate responses
• High Self-Judgment (<3.0 reversed): Target self-criticism reduction
• Low Common Humanity (<2.5): Emphasize shared human experience
• Component-specific deficits: Tailor interventions to profile

Self-Compassion Training

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program:

• 8-week evidence-based program
• Pre/post SCS assessment
• Significant improvements (0.5-1.0 points)
• Format: group or individual

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT):

• Targets shame and self-criticism
• Self-compassion as core mechanism
• Track SCS changes during treatment
• Effective for depression, anxiety, trauma

Brief interventions:

• Self-compassion break (3-5 minutes)
• Loving-kindness meditation
• Self-compassion letter writing
• Compassionate self-talk practice

Component-Specific Interventions

Building Self-Kindness:

• Treat yourself as you’d treat a good friend
• Self-compassion breaks during difficulty
• Soothing touch exercises
• Compassionate letter to self

Reducing Self-Judgment:

• Notice and soften inner critic
• Challenge harsh self-talk
• Understand origins of self-criticism
• Practice self-forgiveness

Enhancing Common Humanity:

• Recognize everyone struggles
• “Just like me” meditation
• Normalize imperfection and failure
• Connect suffering to shared experience

Reducing Isolation:

• Share difficulties with others
• Recognize you’re not alone
• Join support groups
• Practice vulnerability

Building Mindfulness:

• Non-judgmental awareness practice
• Noting thoughts and feelings
• Balanced perspective exercises
• Mindfulness meditation

Reducing Over-Identification:

• Step back from painful thoughts
• Notice but don’t believe all thoughts
• Create space from emotional reactivity
• Defusion techniques

Research Applications

• Intervention trials: Primary outcome for self-compassion programs
• Mechanism research: Mediator of therapy effects
• Clinical research: Protective factor investigation
• Wellbeing studies: Alternative to self-esteem focus
• Cross-cultural research: Universal vs. culture-specific aspects

Clinical Disorder Applications

Depression:

• Self-compassion training as depression treatment
• Addresses self-criticism (depressogenic factor)
• Builds resilience against relapse
• Complements traditional CBT

Anxiety:

• Self-compassion reduces harsh self-evaluation
• Decreases anxiety about being anxious
• Promotes acceptance of internal experience
• Mindfulness component particularly relevant

Eating disorders:

• Self-compassion interventions for body image
• Reduces shame and self-criticism
• Promotes healthier relationship with self and body
• Decreases binge eating

Trauma/PTSD:

• Self-compassion aids trauma recovery
• Reduces shame and self-blame
• Builds safety in relationship with self
• Compassionate reprocessing of memories

Chronic pain:

• Self-compassion improves pain coping
• Reduces suffering about suffering
• Promotes acceptance and adaptation
• Mindfulness of pain without reactivity

Abbreviated Versions

SCS-SF (Short Form – 12 items):

• 2 items per subscale
• 3-5 minutes administration
• α = 0.86 for total score
• Use when time limited

Single-item measures:

• “How often are you kind and compassionate to yourself?”
• Quick screening tool
• Lower reliability but adequate for brief assessment

Comparison with Related Constructs

vs. Self-Esteem:

• Self-compassion: Unconditional self-acceptance
• Self-esteem: Conditional positive self-evaluation
• Self-compassion more stable and less narcissistic

vs. Self-Pity:

• Self-compassion: Balanced awareness, connection
• Self-pity: Over-identification, isolation
• Self-compassion recognizes shared humanity

vs. Self-Indulgence:

• Self-compassion: Wanting what’s best for self (health)
• Self-indulgence: Wanting what feels good (pleasure)
• Self-compassion supports long-term wellbeing

Interpretation Considerations

• Cultural context: Asian cultures may score lower but benefit equally
• Response bias: Social desirability may inflate scores
• Subscale patterns: Profile more informative than total
• Change: 0.5+ point change clinically meaningful
• Positive vs. negative subscales: Both provide unique information

Limitations and Considerations

• Length: 26 items longer than some measures
• Factor structure debate: Six vs. two vs. one factor models
• Cultural applicability: May reflect Western Buddhist interpretation
• Positive/negative items: Method effects possible

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Legal and Copyright Information

Copyright and Usage Responsibility: Check that you have the proper rights and permissions to use this assessment tool in your research. This may include purchasing appropriate licenses, obtaining permissions from authors/copyright holders, or ensuring your usage falls within fair use guidelines.

The Self-Compassion Scale is freely available for research and educational use. Visit https://self-compassion.org/ for more information.

Proper Attribution: When using or referencing this scale, cite the original development:

• Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223-250.

External Links and Resources

• Self-Compassion.org – official site by Kristin Neff with scale overview and resources
• Self-Compassion Scales for Researchers – official page for SCS downloads, scoring, and permissions
• Wikipedia – Self-compassion – detailed overview of the self-compassion construct and the SCS
• Center for Mindful Self-Compassion – information on the Mindful Self-Compassion program (Neff & Germer)
• Compassionate Mind Foundation – resources related to compassion-focused therapy and self-compassion

References

Primary Development:

• Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223-250.

Theoretical Foundation:

• Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85-101.
• Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion, self-esteem, and well-being. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 1-12.

Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem:

• Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77(1), 23-50.

Intervention Research:

• Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.
• Gilbert, P., & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13(6), 353-379.

Meta-Analyses:

• MacBeth, A., & Gumley, A. (2012). Exploring compassion: A meta-analysis of the association between self-compassion and psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(6), 545-552.

Cross-Cultural Research:

• Neff, K. D., et al. (2019). The forest and the trees: Examining the association of self-compassion and its positive and negative components with psychological functioning. Self and Identity, 18(1), 67-88.

Health Research:

• Sirois, F. M., et al. (2015). Self-compassion, affect, and health behaviors. Health Psychology, 34(6), 661-669.