Karen, Bluth, PhD, in the Department of Psychiatry, authored an award-winning article showcasing research on the power of self-compassion to help protect teens against depression, anxiety, and stress.
Karen Bluth, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine, won the 2022 Mind & Life Institute Award for Public Communication of Contemplative Research for her article titled, “How Self-Compassion Can Help Improve Teen Mental Health,” which was published in Psychology Today in two parts.
The key points of part one, which can be read here, include:
- Research demonstrates that self-compassion protects teens against the daily challenges they face.
- Teens who are more self-compassionate experience less depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Greater self-compassion in teens is associated with being more motivated and moving outside their comfort zone to try new things.
The key points of part two, which can be read here, include:
- Self-compassion programs may help teens reduce suicidal ideation.
- Depression decreases after teens learn how to be more self-compassionate.
- Self-compassion programming can be taught in schools.