Association of self-compassion and body image among young breast cancer patients: mediating effect of body surveillance and body shame 

Purpose: To examine whether body surveillance and body shame mediated the association between self-compassion and body image among young breast cancer patients. Methods: A total of 310 young women with breast cancer completed self-report measurements of demographic and clinical characteristics, Self-Compassion Scale, Body Image Self-rating Questionnaire for Breast Cancer and Chinese version of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale between September and December 2021 at a tertiary cancer hospital in Tianjin, China. Data analysis was performed with correlation analysis and structural equation modeling to verify relationships between key variables. Results: Less self-compassion was significantly associated with greater body image disturbance, while a positive correlation was found between body image, body surveillance, and body shame. High self-compassion was associated with low body surveillance and low body shame. Self-compassion indirectly negative predicted body image disturbance via the chain mediation of body surveillance and body shame. Conclusions: The links of self-compassion and body image were mediated by body surveillance and body shame. Self-compassion can partially counteract patients’ irrational perceptions of their appearance and improve their body image disturbance by reducing body surveillance and further reducing body shame.