Self-compassion improves emotion regulation and mental health outcomes: A pilot study of an online self-compassion program for autistic adults

Cai, R. Y., Edwards, C., Love, A. M., Brown, L., & Gibbs, V. (2024). Self-compassion improves emotion regulation and mental health outcomes: A pilot study of an online self-compassion program for autistic adults. Autism, 28(10), 2572-2585. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241235061

Publication date: 7 Apr 2024 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

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Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 5 (20.0%)

Abstract

People thrive in compassionate environments. For autistic people, their environments are often non-conducive to care and support. We propose that cultivating autistic people’s self-compassion may be an antidote to the mental health difficulties arising from environmental causes. The current study aimed to pilot a self-guided online self-compassion program for autistic adults to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes related to completing this program. The program was co-produced with autistic individuals. Thirty-nine autistic adults aged 20–77 years ( M age = 45.28, SD age = 11.92) completed the online program. They also provided feedback about their self-compassion practices every week. They completed pre- and post-intervention online surveys measuring self-compassion, symptoms of anxiety and depression, positive and negative affect, emotion regulation difficulties, and psychological well-being. As hypothesized, there were significant group improvements in all outcome measures. Preliminary results suggest that the program is feasible and accepted by participants. Approximately half of the autistic participants reported experiences of backdraft, which are adverse reactions associated with self-compassion practices. Based on our findings, we provided clinical recommendations on how self-compassion can be taught to autistic adults. Lay abstract Self-compassion is when we are aware of our feelings and thoughts, are friendly toward ourselves, and realize everyone feels pain and makes mistakes. Self-compassion is associated with having better mental health and well-being in autistic and non-autistic people. But we do not know if autistic people’s self-compassion can be improved through psychoeducation and self-compassion practices. We co-produced an online self-guided self-compassion program based on evidence-based self-compassion practices for autistic adults called the Self-compassion Program for Autistic Adults. This program included live-experiences videos of autistic adults reflecting on their self-compassion and self-critical experiences. This study piloted the program with 39 autistic adults. We wanted to see if these autistic adults’ self-compassion, emotion regulation, mental health, and psychological well-being improved after completing this program. We found that the autistic participants’ self-compassion, emotion regulation, mental health, and psychological well-being improved significantly after completing the program over 5 weeks. We also found that just over half of the participants reported experiencing negative reactions associated with self-compassion practices. We suggested some clinical implications, including a recommendation for emotion regulation interventions to incorporate self-compassion to help promote access to the affiliative system. In addition, autistic adults who are psychologically vulnerable may need to work with mental health professionals while developing self-compassion to help manage the possible negative reactions associated with some self-compassion practices.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
68
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
4 / 68 (5.9%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
8 / 286 (2.8%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 8 / 73 (11.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 8 / 251 (3.2%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
73 / 286 (25.5%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 49 / 251 (19.5%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
65 / 73 (89.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 65 / 286 (22.7%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 41 / 49 (83.7%).
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