Intervention Models for Reducing Self-Criticism
Carolina Papa, Micaela Di Consiglio, Marco Bassi de Toni, Alessandro Couyoumdjian
Self-criticism consists of a mode of thinking aimed at self-evaluation, which can take the form of a hostile and self-accusatory internal dialogue negatively affecting individual well-being. Self-criticism is a common factor in various mental disorders, and it represents an obstacle to the alliance and therapeutic success. Several theoretical models have been proposed in recent decades to account for self-criticism and its role as a non-specific vulnerability factor, leading various authors to develop interventions to reduce maladaptive self-criticism in highly self-critical individuals. Furthermore, several therapeutic models, not specifically designed to reduce self-criticism, can achieve positive secondary effects on self-criticism. The present work proposes a review of intervention models for reducing self-criticism, both from a prevention and treatment perspective, illustrating their limitations, clinical implications, and possible future directions for research in this area.
Keywords
Self-criticism, Psychopathology, Treatment, Prevention, Literature review.
