Results of Self-Report Measures

 

Results of the Psychological Well-Being Scale-18

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The PWBS-18 was administered to the participants before the individual interviews as a measure of general well-being, and they were also asked to follow up on some of their responses, to describe why they answered how they did. There were seven possible responses, ranging from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree,” with the highest possible overall score being 126, and subscale score 21. Ryff and colleagues have not published cut-off indicators of what is considered a low or a high score, but a higher score on this measure indicates a higher sense of well-being (Celestine, 2021). The scores ranged from 73 (Sophia) to 111 (Michael), with a mean of 96 and a median of 103.50.

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The participants scored lower in the subscale areas of environmental mastery (mean = 14.00) and self-acceptance (mean = 14.60), and higher in the areas of purpose in life (mean = 16.30), positive relations with others (mean = 16.40), autonomy (mean = 16.70), and personal growth (mean = 18.00). Included below are quotes that I selected to illustrate the participants’ experiences. 

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Environmental Mastery

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Some participants reported having difficulties with their environments. Six participants agreed with the statement, “The demands of everyday life often get me down, and four disagreed.” For example, Henry selected strongly agree, and stated that while he makes an effort, he experiences challenges: “Usually, I’m very enthusiastic about things, but my challenges that I have in terms of capabilities aren’t always as good as they could or should be.” Aubrey responded with somewhat agree, and stated that she finds the demands at her department store job to be challenging, and she gets more tired as she ages. Beverly somewhat agreed that the demands of everyday life are challenging. Patrick chose strongly agree, and described the ups and downs in his life:

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     I can say because my journey through life has not always been smooth, I’ve

     had my ups and downs, so that’s why I say I can strongly agree … I think f

     financial constraints of living with my disability. I mean, I have lived a life that

     a normal person couldn’t possibly believe.

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He also talked about feeling stressed: “Oh yeah, stress. I feel stressed sometimes. Yeah.”

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Annika also somewhat agreed that the demands in her life are difficult, and Gloria strongly agreed with the statement. However, eight participants agreed with the item, “In general I feel I am in charge of the situation in which I live.” Beverly and Michael somewhat disagreed with this statement. Michael said that he does not always have control of things in his life, and he stated that his physical condition has made it difficult and affected his ability to do some things: “I mean, my physical condition did have some effect on the ability of myself to do everything that I wanted to do.”

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Seven participants agreed with the statement, “I am good at managing the responsibilities of daily life,” one disagreed, and two participants neither agreed nor disagreed. Beverly responded with a little disagree to this statement, and described how it is challenging to take care of her father:

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     Well, yeah, I mean, for one thing I have a 95-year-old dad and I’m just trying

     to do all his finances and arranging care for him. And I just, I’m pretty

     overwhelmed by that because I’m also working and dealing with my own

     health issues. I just can’t seem to be able to handle all of his care to the

     degree I’d like to with the addition of my job and my own health issues. I just

     can’t really handle it like I’d like to.

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The participants’ descriptions show how the demands of life can be challenging, and are examples of disabled people experiencing inaccessible environments or other situations that they have less control over (Marini et al., 2009).

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Self-Acceptance

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The majority of the participants are pleased with how their lives have turned out, though some are disappointed in their achievements and have wanted to accomplish more. For the statement, “I like most parts of my personality,” all participants agreed with this statement. However, Gloria, who agreed with this a little, stated that she can be hypersensitive: “I can be a little too hypersensitive. I mean, I like my personality … I would say a little.” For the item, “When I look at the story of my life, I am pleased with how things have turned out so far,” the majority of the participants (eight) agreed with this statement, and two disagreed. Brian said somewhat agree, and talked about how he is happy to work hard and have a family:

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     Because with some of the disabilities I have, I’m still at a fortune 100

     company, even though I’m an assistant analyst, they just saw that I was able

     to work hard and still have a family and stuff. So, I would say, somewhat

     agree. Even with the disabilities, even with the polio, it’s not like it’s crazy,

     but one of the legs is a little shorter, and you can tell, but it’s not like, you

     know … and then with the hearing and visibility I just use technology to help

     me hear. I wear a device in my ear … And I have special glasses and stuff,

     so I still can function normally.

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However, Beverly responded with somewhat disagree because she has not reached her potential in her career:

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     Well, I think I could have accomplished a lot more. I mean, my disability held

     me back, right. I didn’t get my masters until I was (laughs) 52. So, I haven’t

     gone back to get licensed. They made it eligible for licensure the year after I

     graduated. So, I could go back and get licensed, but I’m really not well

     enough, I think, to perform at my peak. My peak career performance hasn’t

     been reached, probably because I’ve never been well enough to do it. And

     probably just because I’m overly protective of myself. And I haven’t been

     real healthy. I’ve been holding back a little. I haven’t reached my potential

     that way.

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Also, Gloria strongly disagreed with the statement that she is pleased with how things have turned out so far in her life because she wanted to accomplish more:

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     Nah, I don’t agree with that. I feel like I could have accomplished so much

     more if I could hear because being hard of hearing and deaf really affected

     my life … so I don’t feel like I really … Like, I wanted a four-year degree, I

     wanted a master’s degree, I wanted all that type of stuff. But it was hard for

     me to get those things done in a classroom. And it’s not just me, but other

     people who are hard of hearing as well. Some people don’t respect hard of

     hearing and deaf people, either. They think we’re dumb. They don’t have

     time for us. So, it was—it’s a big hindrance in my life, and I always say, “If

     only I had my good ear or good hearing, I would be in a much better place.”

     And then a lot of my family members are hard of hearing because it’s

     hereditary. They all aren’t doing that well, either. It’s a big hindrance.

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Five participants disagreed with the item, “In many ways I feel disappointed about my achievements in life,” four agreed, and one neither agreed nor disagreed. Aubrey said somewhat agree, and stated that the COVID-19 situation negatively affected her career goals as a teacher as she lost her teaching job. Beverly also selected somewhat agree for this statement. Gloria said strongly agree for this statement, and stated that she is disappointed with how her life turned out: “Yes, I’m very disappointed, like about how my life turned out.” Sophia responded with somewhat agree, and talked about being disappointed in the lack of job opportunities and having less friends:

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     Well, yes, I just felt like, I think without my disability I would probably have a

     better job, and maybe not be on disability. You know, I would say, I would go

     further, and have more job opportunities, and also more friends, maybe,

     better quality friends.

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Sophia’s statement shows how some disabled people may experience disappointments about their accomplishments as a result of lack of opportunities (Braddock & Parish, 2001).

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Purpose in Life

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While some participants have difficulty with the demands of life, they reported experiencing a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Nine participants agreed with the statement, “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.” However, Sophia neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement. Gloria strongly agreed with this statement, however she stated that her life has been difficult: “Things are tough for me. I have a tough life.” Eight participants disagreed with the statement, “I live life one day at a time and don’t really think about the future,” but Aubrey and Sophia both somewhat agreed. Gloria selected strongly disagree, and stated that she thinks about her future and goals a lot:

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     I always … I think about my future a lot. Even though I’m getting older, I

     mean, I         am older (laughs), but I still want to get to that place someday

     where I just live one day at a time. But I still worry about my future. I feel like

     I still have a little time to accomplish something … I want to accomplish

     something before I go.

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Four participants agreed with the statement, “I sometimes feel as if I’ve done all there is to do in life,” five said strongly disagree, and one participant responded with neither agree nor disagree. Aubrey chose somewhat agree, and said that she appreciates that she had the opportunity to live in Hawaii and swim with dolphins: “I do feel that I did accomplish my dream in that way.” Sophia responded with a little agree to the statement that she feels she has done all there is to do in life: “A little, yes, because I thought that I guess I could have done more at this point, because of the ADD and the disability.” Brian said a little agree, and Patrick chose somewhat agree. John responded with somewhat disagree to this statement, as there is more he can do in life: “Because there’s still more that I can do. There’s still more that I want to accomplish,” and “You never stop learning and growing.” Similarly, Michael strongly disagreed, and said, “There’s always more to do.” Henry also strongly disagreed, and stated that there’s more to look forward to in life:

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     I’m trying to think how to say this. Both from a social aspect and from a

     vocational aspect … my glass is half full. Even at my age there’s things in

     front of me to grasp and hold to my chest. And people, too.

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In addition, Beverly strongly disagreed. Gloria said a little disagree, and expressed a desire to do more in her life: “I feel that I need to do more. I feel I could do more, yeah.” The participants’ statements show how they are optimistic, and also the value of older disabled people having hope and things to look forward to (Faull et al., 2004).

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Positive Relations with Others

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The participants reported both positive and negative experiences regarding relations with others. Four participants agreed with the statement, “Maintaining close relationships has been difficult and frustrating for me,” and six disagreed. Aubrey responded with somewhat agree, and said that it can be hard to maintain relationships. Beverly also somewhat agreed with this statement, and said that she has difficulty with getting close to people because her mother was not emotionally available.

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Sophia said somewhat agree, and talked about being frustrated with not having enough friends or a job: “Yeah. I would get, like, I would get frustrated because I don’t have enough friends. And then a job, so you know, a catch-22.” Gloria selected strongly agree, and described how she feels misunderstood because of not being able to hear:

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     Because I feel like I’m misunderstood, I feel lonely. I feel people

     misunderstand me. People don’t have the patience to deal with my disability

     and stuff. And then all the problems I have don’t have a lot to do with my

     hearing problem, either. It’s just that I’m missing connections with people. It’s

     like I can barely hear people when they’re talking to me. So, maybe it’s

     because I can’t hear them. Like, I don’t connect with people too much on a

     personal level, and it’s very frustrating. I have a hard time meeting people,

     making friends with people, and keeping them. I feel very misunderstood.

     And yeah, I just have a hard time hearing people. And I laugh at a lot of stuff

     when I don’t hear something … I definitely have a hard time having

     relationships with people. And then I’ll be avoiding people because of my

     hearing problem … certain people I avoid. I have an avoidant personality. I’ll

     be avoiding people because I’m not confident within myself because I can’t

     hear that well … yeah.

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In addition, Aubrey, Beverly, Sophia, and Gloria agreed with the statement, “I have not experienced many warm and trusting relationships with others,” while the rest of the participants disagreed. Sophia responded with a little agree. She talked about some disappointments that she has experienced in life due to difficulties forming positive relationships with others, which have made it harder for her to advance: “It’s hard for me to do things because of my situation, and I want to try to advance. Maybe I wanted to go get more school, or like, get a better job. Yes.” However, all participants agreed with the statement, “People would describe me as a giving person, willing to share my time with others.” The participants’ responses show that they have a desire for close relationships and connection, but some experience difficulties with relationships due to lack of opportunity, social support, or understanding from others (Lurquin, 2014).

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Autonomy

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While some participants have experienced lack of opportunities in their lives, they expressed having autonomy and valuing themselves and their own opinions. For the statement, “I tend to be influenced by people with strong opinions,” five participants agreed and five disagreed. Gloria said a little disagree, and stated, “No, not really, no (laughs).” All participants agreed with the statement, “I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most other people think.” Aubrey responded with strongly agree to this statement, and talked about being opinionated:

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     I totally agree with that. I can be very opinionated. Sometimes I think it gets

     me in trouble! If others don’t agree with me, that’s okay. They’re welcome to

     feel however they want. I may change my opinion, I may not. If I feel strongly

     about something, no, I will stand to that, I will stick to that, and I won’t

     change my opinion.

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For the statement, “I judge myself by what I think is important not by the values of what others think is important,” nine participants agreed, though Brian neither agreed nor disagreed. Annika strongly agreed, and said that she does not care what other people think of her: “I do not really care what other people think about me, I just judge myself by what I think is important.” Gloria also strongly agreed, and stated that she has her own mind, “I have strong, I’m like, strong-minded. I’m opinionated. I have my own mind. Yeah, I can say that (laughs).” The participants’ statements reveal their sense of autonomy, and the value of an older disabled person having their own mind, for a strong sense of self (Walsh & LeRoy, 2004).

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Personal Growth

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The participants also reported experiencing much personal growth. Seven participants disagreed with the statement, “I gave up trying to make big improvements or changes in my life a long time ago,” two agreed, and one neither agreed nor disagreed. John said somewhat disagree, and expressed wanting to do positive things: “Yeah, I want to do positive things in my life.” Michael, Brian, and Patrick also somewhat disagreed, and Annika said strongly disagree. Gloria disagreed a little with this statement, and talked about how she is working towards her goals: “I’m still trying to make some of it, you know. Baby steps, but I’m trying.” However, Beverly responded with a little agree. All participants agreed with the statement, “For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.”

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Also, all participants agreed with the statement, “I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how I think about myself and the world.” Michael strongly agreed with this statement about challenging himself and said, “Yes, that’s important.” The participants’ responses show how it is beneficial to have goals and keep growing (Chang & DeSimone, 2001).

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Results of the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form

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The SCS-SF was administered to the participants after the focus group as a measure of self-compassion and well-being related to the topics covered, and sharing with and learning from others. They were asked to follow up on some of their responses, so that they could describe their experiences. There were five possible responses, ranging from 1, “Almost never” to 5, “Almost always.” A higher score indicates higher self-compassion, and an average overall score is around 3.00, with 1.00–2.50 considered to be low self-compassion; 2.50–3.50, moderate; and 3.50–5.00, high (Houston, 2020). Out of a possible 5.00, the lowest score was 2.25 (Gloria), and the highest scores were 4.00 (Henry, Brian, and Annika), as shown in Table 4.2. The mean was 3.35 and the median was 3.55. The mean score is in the average range, and half of the participants scored in the high range.

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It should be noted that the subscale scores on the short form are not recommended for statistical use as they are less reliable than on the standard form (Raes et al., 2011), so they are used here for more descriptive purposes, to inform the other findings of this study. Lower scores on the self-judgment, isolation, and overidentifying subscales mean higher self-compassion, and higher scores in the areas of common humanity, mindfulness, and self-kindness indicate higher self-compassion. The participants scored lower in the subscale areas of self-judgment (mean = 2.70), isolation (mean = 3.00), and overidentification (mean = 3.35), and higher in the areas of common humanity (mean = 3.60), mindfulness (mean = 3.70), and self-kindness (mean = 3.85). Included below are quotes that I selected to show the participants’ sense of self-compassion. 

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Self-Judgment

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Some participants judge themselves more than other participants, but they expressed a desire to accept or embrace themselves. Three participants endorsed the statement, “I’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies, four did not, and three were in the middle. Gloria chose a 5, but said that she is working on being less hard on herself because of her disability, and embracing it:

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     Yeah, I am. I’m hard on myself because of all the flaws, I am. I should do

     better. And I feel like other people are thinking the same way … So, I’ve

     been trying to love myself more, and be more positive about the people in

     my life, and stop being so hard and judgmental about my flaws. It’s

     something I cannot change. I may live like this forever. So, I embrace it.

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For the item, “I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like,” two participants endorsed this item, five did not, and three were neutral. Gloria selected a 4, and said she can be intolerant of herself and other deaf people, though stated that she wants to work on this. Gloria’s statements show how disabled people may be hard on themselves and others due to internalizing negative messages of disability (Watermeyer & Gorgens, 2014), which can affect their self-confidence. However, she expressed having a desire to work on this, showing the value of disabled people embracing all aspects of their identities (Swain & French, 2000).

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Isolation

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Some participants feel more isolated or that they have experienced lack of support from others. For the statement, “When I’m feeling down I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am,” four participants endorsed this item, four did not, and two were neutral. John responded with a 5, and said that he feels other people have it better than him: “I always feel that way. I feel like everybody has it better than me.” Aubrey selected a 4, and said that she often assumes bad things are only happening to her. Beverly also chose a 4, and stated that she always thinks that people are happier than her when she compares herself with others:

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     Yeah, well, I think I always think people are happier than I am. Yeah. I guess

     it just has to do with comparing myself to others which we shouldn’t do. But

     yeah, I feel like most people don’t have the challenges I do, so they’re able

     to do more self-care and able to get what they need more than I am, so,

     yeah.

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Gloria also selected a 4, and said that she feels nondisabled people do not understand what she is going through: “I feel that way towards people who don’t have disabilities … I feel like they have no idea. Yeah.” However, Sophia chose a 2, and said that she tries to have a good attitude, so does not feel that other people are happier than she is:

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     Oh yes, because I felt like it was a 2 because I don’t feel that horribly sad,

     that’s why. And like, I try to have a good attitude so I can bounce back to my

     old way. And I feel less bad if I maybe was sad in the moment. Yeah.

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Three participants endorsed the statement, “When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure,” three did not, and four were neutral. John responded with a 3, and said that he does not always receive support from others: “I have some people … and sometimes they are not always there for me. Yeah, so sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.” Gloria selected a 5, and stated: “That is true. That’s a five. I do. One thing about it, I keep my failure to myself. I don’t go around broadcasting it.” The participants’ responses show how difficulties that disabled people have experienced can make them feel like their lives are not as good as others’ (Linton, 1998).

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Overidentification

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Many participants reported difficulties related to feeling inadequate, though some use the experience to improve themselves. Seven participants endorsed the item, “When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy,” one did not, and two were neutral. John chose a 4 and talked about how he gets help, but feelings of inadequacy are also difficult for him to get over:

 

     Yeah, it’s not always, but sometimes I’m able to work my way through it, but

     when I don’t, of course I feel inadequate because I wasn’t able to do it

     successfully. So, it can create big problems. But sometimes, it’s not a

     problem because I get help and I’m able to emotionally get over it. But it’s

     really difficult to get over it.

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Henry also selected a 4, and stated that when he tries to take care of himself,

other people’s reactions towards him can make him feel inadequate: “I don’t walk to the precipice, but I’m trying to wind down myself, and mostly other people’s expectations, and sometimes it leads you to be marooned.” Aubrey responded with a 4, and described how she is hard on herself: 

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     Yes. I am very, very hard on myself. I think I get that from my mom (laughs)

     because my mom was very, very critical. And I took that up from her. So, I

     tend to be very, very critical on myself, very hard on myself, more than

     others would be of me, that’s for sure.

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Beverly also selected a 4 because she feels bad when she compares herself to others in her family who are higher achievers. Annika chose a 4, and stated that she feels upset if she fails: “I feel upset if I fail at something.” Patrick also selected a 4, and said that he does not like failure: “Yeah, when I think about it, I don’t really enjoy failure, so I feel a little bad after I fail. Yeah.” In addition, Gloria responded with a 4: “When I fail at something important, I get consumed by inadequacy because I really want to do it, so, I feel a failure when I can’t do something that I want to do.” However, Michael chose a 1, and said: “No, probably almost never. I don’t become consumed with it.”

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For the statement, “When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong,” four participants endorsed this, three did not, and three were in the middle. Beverly chose a 4, and stated she thinks about the negative things in her life:

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     Oh yeah, I do tend to get down and then look at all the negative things, and

     not try to have a balanced view like I should. I mean, I know what I should

     do, I’m a counselor right! (laughs). But I don’t do it.

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Patrick selected a 4. However, he talked about how thinking about his past failures makes him feel like doing better in the future:

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     When I think of, maybe fail to perform at something, I tend to recall all of the

     other bad things that have happened, and also all the shortcomings that I’ve

     experienced by doing something, and then maybe try to do it another way.

     Yeah.

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Gloria chose a 5, and similar to Patrick, stated that she thinks about how she can fix things: “I do, I obsess about things that fail, I analyze everything. I’m an overthinker. Really, I’m just wondering how I can fix these things or, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ But yeah, definitely.” Some participants being hard on themselves shows how disabled people might not think that their difficulties are acceptable, as they may have internalized stigma as a result of being oppressed (Marini, 2012).

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Common Humanity

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Some participants expressed thinking that their failings are worse than other people’s, though many also stated that they realize other people are going through difficulties and that having difficulties is part of being human. For the statement, “I try to see my failings as part of the human condition, five participants endorsed this, two did not, and three were neutral. Henry responded with a 5, though he stated that this is not easy to do: “I don’t know how good I am at moving on, but sometimes it takes more time to get over certain things than other things. And sometimes you’re on your own in a dark forest.” Patrick selected a 4, and said that he does not blame himself when he experiences difficulties:

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     I just see my failure, and I just know that I’m human and I do mistakes

     sometimes, so I don’t really blame myself for any shortcomings … I’m

     confident in my way, so I guess I consider myself just human and go on with

     life and just say, “It is what it is.”

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However, Beverly chose a 2, and expressed that she thinks her failings might be worse than other people’s: “I think my failings (laughs) may be worse than most humans. Yeah. I think my failings are not, well, they may be part of the human condition, but mine are a little more extreme than most humans.” Gloria also selected a 2 and similar to Beverly, stated: “No, I don’t see my failure as part of the human condition. I see it as my disability causes me to have these failures. I feel my hearing problem hinders me. It definitely hinders me.”  John chose a 3, and said sometimes he thinks that his failings are because of a problem that he caused: “That one’s a 3 because sometimes I don’t think it is part of the human condition. Sometimes I think it’s something else … like it may be some problem that I caused … that I did wrong.”

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For the item, “When I feel inadequate in some way, I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people,” six participants endorsed this, two did not, and two were neutral. John selected a 5, “because I try to convince myself that most people have the same problems.” Gloria chose a 3, as sometimes she thinks that others are going through similar things as she is. However, Annika selected a 1, and expressed that she does not think other people have inadequacies. While some participants expressed feeling inadequate because they are disabled, showing the negative effects of stigma (Coffman-Rosen, 2015), other participants are more able to be kind to themselves, revealing the importance of understanding that experiencing difficulties is part of being human (Semenza, 2015).

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Mindfulness

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The participants expressed that it can be difficult when something painful happens, but many also said that it is important to have a positive attitude. For the statement, “When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation,” six participants endorsed this item and four were neutral. John chose a 3, and said that sometimes it is difficult for him to think things through when he gets nervous. However, Annika responded with a 4 and said, “Yeah, sometimes it is difficult, but I try to do it.” Gloria also chose a 4, and stated that she thinks about what the best solution is to a problem: “I do. I try to sit back and analyze, figure out what’s the best thing to do, I do.”

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For the item, “When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance,” seven participants endorsed this, one did not, and two were in the middle. John chose a 5, and talked about how it is important for him to keep his emotions in balance: “I try to do that. It’s very important to do that.” Sophia selected a 4, and stated that it is important for her to have a positive attitude, “I often try to have a good attitude, and to keep telling myself it’ll be over soon. And I try not to dwell on it, yeah.” Gloria also chose a 4, and said that she keeps her emotions under control. However, Henry responded with a 2, and said that it can be hard for him to keep his emotions in balance when he experiences difficult situations, such as his current living situation. The participants’ responses show that while they experience difficulties, it is important to them to have a positive attitude, to increase well-being (Chang & DeSimone, 2001).

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Self-Kindness

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Some participants stated that they are kinder to themselves than other participants, while all expressed that it is important to try to be caring and compassionate towards themselves. For the item, “I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like,” seven participants endorsed this, one did not, and two were neutral. John responded with a 5, and said that he tries to be understanding and patient towards himself: “I do try to understand it. I do try to be patient. So yeah, that’s right.” Michael chose a 4, and stated that he needs to understand that he is not perfect, as improvements do not all come at once:

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     Yeah, I’d say most of the time. So probably number 4. I try to be patient …

     well, because I understand that I’m not perfect, and because of that I try to

     correct myself and I have to, I’ve got to be. Just like I would be patient

     towards other people, I try to be patient towards myself. I’m realizing that I

     am not perfect and do need improvement on certain things, but it doesn’t

     always come at once.

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Brian also selected a 4, and expressed that he creates his own meaning about his situation:

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     Yeah, it’s just the way I think about it. It’s just the way I trained myself to be

     patient. So yeah, I’ve just got to be patient about whatever’s happening and

     accept the meaning I give it. Maybe that’s being delusional, but it’s really

     not, because the meaning, it only has the meaning that I give it, no matter

     what the world may say it means.

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Gloria chose a 2, though she said that she would like to try harder to be more patient and understanding towards aspects of herself she does not like: “I find that I don’t try too hard. I should probably, I probably have to try harder. I need to do better with that.” 

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For the statement, “When I’m going through a very hard time I give myself the caring and tenderness I need,” five participants endorsed this, one did not, and four were in the middle. John selected a 5, and said that he tries to be caring towards himself: “I try to. I try to do that.” Michael chose a 3, and stated that sometimes it can be difficult to be caring towards himself: “Yeah, because that’s kind of a hard thing. I mean, sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t.” Gloria also responded with a 3, and stated that sometimes she gives herself a hard time, and sometimes she is more caring towards herself: “Sometimes I give myself a hard time, and then sometimes I do give myself the tenderness I need. So, I’m like, neutral on that one.” While some participants expressed that it is more difficult to be kind to themselves, being more caring towards themselves is something that they are working on. All participants reported a desire to have compassion for themselves, showing the importance of self-compassion for healing (Stuntzner, 2017).

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