Sirois, Fuschia M, Hirsch, Jameson K · Mindfulness · 2019 · DOI
This study looked at whether being kind and compassionate to yourself helps people with chronic illnesses—including ME/CFS—stick to their medical treatments. Researchers surveyed 709 patients across five different conditions and found that people who naturally practice self-compassion do tend to follow their treatment plans better. They also discovered that part of this benefit happens because self-compassion helps reduce stress.
For ME/CFS patients, many of whom struggle with treatment adherence due to symptom burden and psychological distress, this study suggests that cultivating self-compassion may be a practical psychological tool to improve adherence and potentially reduce the stress that often exacerbates the condition. Understanding modifiable psychological factors that support better medical management is particularly valuable in ME/CFS, where treatment options are limited and compliance is critical.
This study cannot establish causation—it shows correlation only and cannot prove that self-compassion directly causes better adherence or that improving self-compassion will improve adherence in any individual. The study does not specify whether certain ME/CFS patients benefit more than others, nor does it clarify whether specific types of treatments show stronger adherence benefits from self-compassion. The small effect size (r=.22) suggests self-compassion is only one of many factors influencing adherence.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Sirois, Fuschia M & Hirsch, Jameson K (2019). Self-Compassion and Adherence in Five Medical Samples: the Role of Stress.. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0945-9
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-sirois-2019-self-compassion,
author = {Sirois, Fuschia M and Hirsch, Jameson K},
title = {Self-Compassion and Adherence in Five Medical Samples: the Role of Stress.},
journal = {Mindfulness},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1007/s12671-018-0945-9},
note = {PubMed: 30662571},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sirois-2019-self-compassion},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sirois-2019-self-compassion
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