High rates of mental health problems are a growing concern in Czech higher education, negatively impacting students' performance and wellbeing. Despite the serious nature of poor mental health, students often do not seek help because of negative attitudes and shame over mental health problems. Recent mental health research reports self-compassion is strongly associated with better mental health and reduced shame. However, relationships between those constructs remain to be evaluated among Czech students. This study aims to appraise the relationships between mental health problems, negative mental health attitudes, mental health shame, and self-compassion in this population. An opportunity sample of 119 psychology students from a Czech university completed questionnaires regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and path analyses were conducted. Mental health problems were positively associated with negative mental health attitudes and shame, and negatively associated with self-compassion. Self-compassion negatively predicted mental health problems, while negative attitudes and shame did not. Last, self-compassion fully mediated the negative attitudes-mental health problems relationship, and partially mediated the shame-mental health problems relationship. Findings suggest self-compassion is essential for mental health in Czech students and associated with negative mental health attitudes and mental health shame. Czech universities can benefit from incorporating self-compassion training into their curricula to protect students' mental health.

College of Health Psychology and Social Care University of Derby Derby DE22 1GB UK

Department of Psychology Masaryk University 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Psychology Middlesex University Dubai Block 16 Dubai P O Box 500697 United Arab Emirates

School of Health and Related Research University of Sheffield Sheffield S1 4DA UK

School of Health Sciences University of Nottingham Nottingham NG7 2HA UK

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Raikhel E., Bemme D. Postsocialism, the Psy-Ences and Mental Health. Transcult. Psychiatry. 2016;53:151–175. doi: 10.1177/1363461516635534. PubMed DOI

Skultans V. From Damaged Nerves to Masked Depression: Inevitability and Hope in Latvian Psychiatric Narratives. Soc. Sci. Med. 2003;56:2421–2431. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00245-9. PubMed DOI

Skultans V. The Appropriation of Suffering: Psychiatric Practice in the Post-Soviet Clinic. Theory Cult. Soc. 2007;24:27–48. doi: 10.1177/0263276407077625. DOI

Formánek T., Kagström A., Cermakova P., Csémy L., Mladá K., Winkler P. Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Associated Disability: Results from the Cross-Sectional CZEch Mental Health Study (CZEMS) Eur. Psychiatry. 2019;60:1–6. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2019.05.001. PubMed DOI

Wittchen H.U., Jacobi F., Rehm J., Gustavsson A., Svensson M., Jönsson B., Olesen J., Allgulander C., Alonso J., Faravelli C., et al. The Size and Burden of Mental Disorders and Other Disorders of the Brain in Europe 2010. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21:655–679. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2011.07.018. PubMed DOI

Poh Keong P., Chee Sern L., Foong M., Ibrahim C. The Relationship between Mental Health and Academic Achievement among University Students—A Literature Review. Second Int. Conf. Glob. Trends Acad. Res. 2015;2:755–764.

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development Czech Republic Country Note. [(accessed on 14 March 2022)]. Available online: http://www.oecd.org/education/Czech%20Republic-EAG2014-Country-Note.pdf.

Bobak M., Pikhart H., Pajak A., Kubinova R., Malyutina S., Sebakova H., Topor-Madry R., Nikitin Y., Marmot M. Depressive Symptoms in Urban Population Samples in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Br. J. Psychiatry J. Ment. Sci. 2006;188:359–365. doi: 10.1192/bjp.188.4.359. PubMed DOI

Mikolajczyk R.T., Maxwell A.E., El Ansari W., Naydenova V., Stock C., Ilieva S., Dudziak U., Nagyova I. Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in University Students from Germany, Denmark, Poland and Bulgaria. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2008;43:105–112. doi: 10.1007/s00127-007-0282-0. PubMed DOI

Pec O. Mental Health Reforms in the Czech Republic. BJPsych Int. 2019;16:4–6. doi: 10.1192/bji.2017.27. PubMed DOI PMC

Kagstrom A., Alexova A., Tuskova E., Csajbók Z., Schomerus G., Formanek T., Mladá K., Winkler P., Cermakova P. The Treatment Gap for Mental Disorders and Associated Factors in the Czech Republic. Eur. Psychiatry. 2019;59:37–43. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2019.04.003. PubMed DOI

Kale R. The Treatment Gap. Epilepsia. 2002;43:31–33. doi: 10.1046/j.1528-1157.43.s.6.13.x. PubMed DOI

Doblytė S. Shame in a Post-Socialist Society: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Seeking and Utilisation in Common Mental Disorders. Sociol. Health Illn. 2020;42:1858–1872. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13170. PubMed DOI

Choudhry F.R., Mani V., Ming L., Khan T.M. Beliefs and Perception about Mental Health Issues: A Meta-Synthesis. Neuropsychiatr. Dis. Treat. 2016;12:2807–2818. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S111543. PubMed DOI PMC

Winkler P., Mladá K., Janoušková M., Weissová A., Tušková E., Csémy L., Evans-Lacko S. Attitudes towards the People with Mental Illness: Comparison between Czech Medical Doctors and General Population. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2016;51:1265–1273. doi: 10.1007/s00127-016-1263-y. PubMed DOI

Weiss M.G., Ramakrishna J., Somma D. Health-Related Stigma: Rethinking Concepts and Interventions. Psychol. Health Med. 2006;11:277–287. doi: 10.1080/13548500600595053. PubMed DOI

Link B.G., Struening E.L., Neese-Todd S., Asmussen S., Phelan J.C. Stigma as a Barrier to Recovery: The Consequences of Stigma for the Self-Esteem of People with Mental Illnesses. Psychiatr. Serv. 2001;52:1621–1626. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.52.12.1621. PubMed DOI

Rodrigues S., Serper M., Novak S., Corrigan P., Hobart M., Ziedonis M., Smelson D. Self-Stigma, Self-Esteem, and Co-Occurring Disorders. J. Dual Diagn. 2013;9:129–133. doi: 10.1080/15504263.2013.777988. DOI

Watson A.C., Corrigan P., Larson J.E., Sells M. Self-Stigma in People With Mental Illness. Schizophr. Bull. 2007;33:1312–1318. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbl076. PubMed DOI PMC

Sickel A.E., Seacat J.D., Nabors N.A. Mental Health Stigma: Impact on Mental Health Treatment Attitudes and Physical Health. J. Health Psychol. 2019;24:586–599. doi: 10.1177/1359105316681430. PubMed DOI

Corrigan P.W., Druss B.G., Perlick D.A. The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care. Psychol. Sci. Public Interest J. Am. Psychol. Soc. 2014;15:37–70. doi: 10.1177/1529100614531398. PubMed DOI

Eisenberg D., Golberstein E., Gollust S.E. Help-Seeking and Access to Mental Health Care in a University Student Population. Med. Care. 2007;45:594–601. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31803bb4c1. PubMed DOI

Kopinak J., Berisha B., Mursali B. An Investigation into the Health of a Representative Sample of Adults in Kosovo. J. Humanit. Assist. 2001;17:1–7.

Lannin D.G., Vogel D.L., Brenner R.E., Abraham W.T., Heath P.J. Does Self-Stigma Reduce the Probability of Seeking Mental Health Information? J. Couns. Psychol. 2016;63:351–358. doi: 10.1037/cou0000108. PubMed DOI

Shannon P.J., Wieling E., Simmelink-McCleary J., Becher E. Beyond Stigma: Barriers to Discussing Mental Health in Refugee Populations. J. Loss Trauma. 2015;20:281–296. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2014.934629. DOI

Ting L. Depressive Symptoms in a Sample of Social Work Students and Reasons Preventing Students from Using Mental Health Services: An Exploratory Study. J. Soc. Work Educ. 2011;47:253–268. doi: 10.5175/JSWE.2011.200900092. DOI

Milin R., Kutcher S., Lewis S.P., Walker S., Wei Y., Ferrill N., Armstrong M.A. Impact of a Mental Health Curriculum on Knowledge and Stigma Among High School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry. 2016;55:383–391.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.02.018. PubMed DOI

Janoušková M., Formánek T., Bražinová A., Mílek P., Alexová A., Winkler P., Motlová L.B. Attitudes towards People with Mental Illness and Low Interest in Psychiatry among Medical Students in Central and Eastern Europe. Psychiatr. Q. 2021;92:407–418. doi: 10.1007/s11126-020-09817-3. PubMed DOI

Corrigan P.W., Watson A.C., Miller F.E. Blame, Shame, and Contamination: The Impact of Mental Illness and Drug Dependence Stigma on Family Members. J. Fam. Psychol. 2006;20:239–246. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.2.239. PubMed DOI

Gilbert P., Bhundia R., Mitra R., McEwan K., Irons C., Sanghera J. Cultural Differences in Shame-Focused Attitudes towards Mental Health Problems in Asian and Non-Asian Student Women. Ment. Health Relig. Cult. 2007;10:127–141. doi: 10.1080/13694670500415124. DOI

Gilbert P., Procter S. Compassionate Mind Training for People with High Shame and Self-Criticism: Overview and Pilot Study of a Group Therapy Approach. Clin. Psychol. Psychother. 2006;13:353–379. doi: 10.1002/cpp.507. DOI

Hampton N.Z., Sharp S.E. Shame-Focused Attitudes Toward Mental Health Problems: The Role of Gender and Culture. Rehabil. Couns. Bull. 2014;57:170–181. doi: 10.1177/0034355213501722. DOI

Kotera Y., Green P., Sheffield D. Mental Health Attitudes, Self-Criticism, Compassion and Role Identity among UK Social Work Students. Br. J. Soc. Work. 2019;49:351–370. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcy072. DOI

Gilbert P. Evolution, Social Roles, and the Differences in Shame and Guilt. Soc. Res. Int. Q. 2003;70:1205–1230.

Kim S., Thibodeau R., Jorgensen R.S. Shame, Guilt, and Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analytic Review. Psychol. Bull. 2011;137:68–96. doi: 10.1037/a0021466. PubMed DOI

Tangney J.P. Assessing Individual Differences in Proneness to Shame and Guilt: Development of the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1990;59:102–111. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.59.1.102. PubMed DOI

Benetti-McQuoid J., Bursik K. Individual Differences in Experiences of and Responses to Guilt and Shame: Examining the Lenses of Gender and Gender Role. Sex Roles. 2005;53:133–142. doi: 10.1007/s11199-005-4287-4. DOI

Tangney J.P., Stuewig J., Mashek D.J. Moral Emotions and Moral Behavior. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2007;58:345–372. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070145. PubMed DOI PMC

Matos M., Pinto-Gouveia J. Shame as a Traumatic Memory. Clin. Psychol. Psychother. 2010;17:299–312. doi: 10.1002/cpp.659. PubMed DOI

Gilbert P. The Relationship of Shame, Social Anxiety and Depression: The Role of the Evaluation of Social Rank. Clin. Psychol. Psychother. 2000;7:174–189. doi: 10.1002/1099-0879(200007)7:3<174::AID-CPP236>3.0.CO;2-U. DOI

Caglar-Nazali H.P., Corfield F., Cardi V., Ambwani S., Leppanen J., Olabintan O., Deriziotis S., Hadjimichalis A., Scognamiglio P., Eshkevari E., et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of ‘Systems for Social Processes’ in Eating Disorders. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 2014;42:55–92. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.12.002. PubMed DOI

Kotera Y., Green P., Sheffield D. Mental Health Shame of UK Construction Workers: Relationship with Masculinity, Work Motivation, and Self-Compassion. Rev. Psicol. Trab. Las Organ. 2019;35:135–143. doi: 10.5093/jwop2019a15. DOI

Arimitsu K. The Relationship of Guilt and Shame to Mental Health. [The Relationship of Guilt and Shame to Mental Health.] Jpn. J. Health Psychol. 2001;14:24–31. doi: 10.11560/jahp.14.2_24. DOI

Kotera Y., Conway E., Van Gordon W. Mental Health of UK University Business Students: Relationship with Shame, Motivation and Self-Compassion. J. Educ. Bus. 2019;94:11–20. doi: 10.1080/08832323.2018.1496898. DOI

Kotera Y., Cockerill V., Chircop J.G.E., Forman D. Mental Health Shame, Self-compassion and Sleep in UK Nursing Students: Complete Mediation of Self-compassion in Sleep and Mental Health. Nurs. Open. 2021;8:1325–1335. doi: 10.1002/nop2.749. PubMed DOI PMC

Kotera Y., Green P., Sheffield D. Mental Health of Therapeutic Students: Relationships with Attitudes, Self-Criticism, Self-Compassion, and Caregiver Identity. Br. J. Guid. Couns. 2019 doi: 10.1080/03069885.2019.1704683. DOI

Neely M.E., Schallert D.L., Mohammed S.S., Roberts R.M., Chen Y.-J. Self-Kindness When Facing Stress: The Role of Self-Compassion, Goal Regulation, and Support in College Students’ Well-Being. Motiv. Emot. 2009;33:88–97. doi: 10.1007/s11031-008-9119-8. DOI

Neff K.D., Kirkpatrick K.L., Rude S.S. Self-Compassion and Adaptive Psychological Functioning. J. Res. Personal. 2007;41:139–154. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.004. DOI

Sirois F.M., Kitner R., Hirsch J.K. Self-Compassion, Affect, and Health-Promoting Behaviors. Health Psychol. 2015;34:661–669. doi: 10.1037/hea0000158. PubMed DOI

King R., Gaerlan M.J.M. High Self-Control Predicts More Positive Emotions, Better Engagement, and Higher Achievement in School. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 2014;29:81–100. doi: 10.1007/s10212-013-0188-z. DOI

Neff K.D. Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, and Well-Being: Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, and Well-Being. Soc. Personal. Psychol. Compass. 2011;5:1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00330.x. DOI

Neff K.D. The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion. Self Identity. 2003;2:223–250. doi: 10.1080/15298860309027. DOI

MacBeth A., Gumley A. Exploring Compassion: A Meta-Analysis of the Association between Self-Compassion and Psychopathology. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 2012;32:545–552. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.003. PubMed DOI

Ying Y.W. Contribution of Self-Compassion to Competence and Mental Health in Social Work Students. J. Soc. Work Educ. 2009;45:309–323. doi: 10.5175/JSWE.2009.200700072. DOI

Kotera Y., Dosedlova J., Andrzejewski D., Kaluzeviciute G., Sakai M. From Stress to Psychopathology: Relationship with Self-Reassurance and Self-Criticism in Czech University Students. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict. 2021 doi: 10.1007/s11469-021-00516-z. PubMed DOI PMC

Neff K.D., Vonk R. Self-Compassion Versus Global Self-Esteem: Two Different Ways of Relating to Oneself. J. Pers. 2009;77:23–50. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x. PubMed DOI

Braehler C., Gumley A., Harper J., Wallace S., Norrie J., Gilbert P. Exploring Change Processes in Compassion Focused Therapy in Psychosis: Results of a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Br. J. Clin. Psychol. 2012;52:199–214. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12009. PubMed DOI

Liss M., Erchull M.J. Not Hating What You See: Self-Compassion May Protect against Negative Mental Health Variables Connected to Self-Objectification in College Women. Body Image. 2015;14:5–12. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.006. PubMed DOI

Samaie G., Farahani H.A. Self-Compassion as a Moderator of the Relationship between Rumination, Self-Reflection and Stress. Procedia-Soc. Behav. Sci. 2011;30:978–982. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.190. DOI

Wollast R., Riemer A., Sarda E., Wiernik B., Klein O. How Self-Compassion Moderates the Relation Between Body Surveillance and Body Shame Among Men and Women. Mindfulness. 2020;11:2298–2313. doi: 10.1007/s12671-020-01448-w. DOI

Benda J., Reichová A. Psychometrické Charakteristiky České Verze Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-CZ). [Psychometric Characteristics of the Czech Version of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-CZ).] Českoslov. Psychol. Časopis Psychol. Teor. Praxi. 2016;60:120–136.

Montero-Marin J., Kuyken W., Crane C., Gu J., Baer R., Al-Awamleh A.A., Akutsu S., Araya-Véliz C., Ghorbani N., Chen Z.J., et al. Self-Compassion and Cultural Values: A Cross-Cultural Study of Self-Compassion Using a Multitrait-Multimethod (MTMM) Analytical Procedure. Front. Psychol. 2018;9:2638. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02638. PubMed DOI PMC

Hofstede G.H. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations. 2nd ed. Sage Publications; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: 2001.

Hofstede Insights. [(accessed on 23 December 2020)]. Available online: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/czech-republic,germany,the-uk,the-usa/

Suveg C., Morelen D., Brewer G.A., Thomassin K. The Emotion Dysregulation Model of Anxiety: A Preliminary Path Analytic Examination. J. Anxiety Disord. 2010;24:924–930. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.06.018. PubMed DOI

Carver C.S., Scheier M.F., Weintraub J.K. Assessing Coping Strategies: A Theoretically Based Approach. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1989;56:267–283. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267. PubMed DOI

Lazarus R.S., Folkman S. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer; New York, NY, USA: 1984. 11. [print.]

Sher K.J., Grekin E.R. Alcohol and Affect Regulation. In: Gross J.J., editor. Handbook of Emotion Regulation. Guilford Press; New York, NY, USA: 2007. pp. 560–580.

Depue R.A., Morrone-Strupinsky J.V. A Neurobehavioral Model of Affiliative Bonding: Implications for Conceptualizing a Human Trait of Affiliation. Behav. Brain Sci. 2005;28 doi: 10.1017/S0140525X05000063. PubMed DOI

Gilbert P. Evolutionary Approaches to Psychopathology: The Role of Natural Defences. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry. 2001;35:17–27. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00856.x. PubMed DOI

Gilbert P. Compassion: Conceptualisations, Research and Use in Psychotherapy. 1st ed. Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2005.

Hsiung D.-Y., Tsai C.-L., Chiang L.-C., Ma W.-F. Screening Nursing Students to Identify Those at High Risk of Poor Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey. BMJ Open. 2019;9:e025912. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025912. PubMed DOI PMC

Mirzaei M., Yasini Ardekani S.M., Mirzaei M., Dehghani A. Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Adult Population: Results of Yazd Health Study. Iran. J. Psychiatry. 2019;14:137. doi: 10.18502/ijps.v14i2.993. PubMed DOI PMC

Czech Ministry of Education . University Students by Groups of Fields and Sex in 2018 [Studenti Vysokých Škol Podle Skupin Oborů a Pohlaví v Roce 2018] Czech Ministry of Education; Prague, Czech Republic: 2019.

Faul F., Erdfelder E., Buchner A., Lang A.-G. Statistical Power Analyses Using G*Power 3.1: Tests for Correlation and Regression Analyses. Behav. Res. Methods. 2009;41:1149–1160. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149. PubMed DOI

Lovibond P.F., Lovibond S.H. The Structure of Negative Emotional States: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behav. Res. Ther. 1995;33:335–343. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U. PubMed DOI

Antony M.M., Bieling P.J., Cox B.J., Enns M.W., Swinson R.P. Psychometric Properties of the 42-Item and 21-Item Versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in Clinical Groups and a Community Sample. Psychol. Assess. 1998;10:176–181. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.176. DOI

Raes F., Pommier E., Neff K.D., Van Gucht D. Construction and Factorial Validation of a Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clin. Psychol. Psychother. 2011;18:250–255. doi: 10.1002/cpp.702. PubMed DOI

Hayes A.F. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. The Guilford Press; New York, NY, USA: 2013.

Hoaglin D.C., Iglewicz B. Fine-Tuning Some Resistant Rules for Outlier Labeling. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 1987;82:1147–1149. doi: 10.1080/01621459.1987.10478551. DOI

Tukey J.W. The Future of Data Analysis. Ann. Math. Stat. 1962;33:1–67. doi: 10.1214/aoms/1177704711. DOI

Hayes A.F. PROCESS: A Versatile Computational Tool for Observed Variable Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Modeling [White Paper] [(accessed on 12 March 2022)]. Available online: http://www.afhayes.com/public/process2012.pdf.

Ferreira C., Pinto-Gouveia J., Duarte C. Self-Compassion in the Face of Shame and Body Image Dissatisfaction: Implications for Eating Disorders. Eat. Behav. 2013;14:207–210. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2013.01.005. PubMed DOI

Zhang H., Carr E.R., Garcia-Williams A.G., Siegelman A.E., Berke D., Niles-Carnes L.V., Patterson B., Watson-Singleton N.N., Kaslow N.J. Shame and Depressive Symptoms: Self-Compassion and Contingent Self-Worth as Mediators? J. Clin. Psychol. Med. Settings. 2018;25:408–419. doi: 10.1007/s10880-018-9548-9. PubMed DOI

Fong M., Loi N.M. The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in Student Psychological Health: Self-Compassion and Psychological Health. Aust. Psychol. 2016;51:431–441. doi: 10.1111/ap.12185. DOI

Andrews B., Qian M., Valentine J.D. Predicting Depressive Symptoms with a New Measure of Shame: The Experience of Shame Scale. Br. J. Clin. Psychol. 2002;41:29–42. doi: 10.1348/014466502163778. PubMed DOI

Andrews B., Hunter E. Shame, Early Abuse, and Course of Depression in a Clinical Sample: A Preliminary Study. Cogn. Emot. 1997;11:373–381. doi: 10.1080/026999397379845. DOI

Quinn D.M., Williams M.K., Quintana F., Gaskins J.L., Overstreet N.M., Pishori A., Earnshaw V.A., Perez G., Chaudoir S.R. Examining Effects of Anticipated Stigma, Centrality, Salience, Internalization, and Outness on Psychological Distress for People with Concealable Stigmatized Identities. PLoS ONE. 2014;9:e96977. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096977. PubMed DOI PMC

Layte R., Whelan C.T. Who Feels Inferior? A Test of the Status Anxiety Hypothesis of Social Inequalities in Health. Eur. Sociol. Rev. 2014;30:525–535. doi: 10.1093/esr/jcu057. DOI

Carr S., Colthurst K., Coyle M., Elliott D. Attachment Dimensions as Predictors of Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being in the Transition to University. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 2013;28:157–172. doi: 10.1007/s10212-012-0106-9. DOI

Cheng H.-L., Wang C., McDermott R.C., Kridel M., Rislin J.L. Self-Stigma, Mental Health Literacy, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help. J. Couns. Dev. 2018;96:64–74. doi: 10.1002/jcad.12178. DOI

Rüsch N., Müller M., Ajdacic-Gross V., Rodgers S., Corrigan P.W., Rössler W. Shame, Perceived Knowledge and Satisfaction Associated with Mental Health as Predictors of Attitude Patterns towards Help-Seeking. Epidemiol. Psychiatr. Sci. 2014;23:177–187. doi: 10.1017/S204579601300036X. PubMed DOI PMC

Kotera Y., Laethem M., Ohshima R. Cross-Cultural Comparison of Mental Health between Japanese and Dutch Workers: Relationships with Mental Health Shame, Self-Compassion, Work Engagement and Motivation. Cross Cult. Strateg. Manag. 2020 doi: 10.1108/CCSM-02-2020-0055. ahead-of-print. DOI

Kotera Y., Sheffield D. Revisiting the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form: Stronger Associations with Self-Inadequacy and Resilience. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 2020;2:761–769. doi: 10.1007/s42399-020-00309-w. DOI

Redden E.K., Bailey H.N., Katan A., Kondo D., Czosniak R., Upfold C., Newby-Clark I.R. Evidence for Self-Compassionate Talk: What Do People Actually Say? Curr. Psychol. 2021:1–17. doi: 10.1007/s12144-020-01339-2. DOI

Mental Well-Being of Czech University Students: Academic Motivation, Self-Compassion, and Self-Criticism