Background
cancer, chronic illness, asthma, diabetes
AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS, CANCER, CHRONIC ILLNESS, ASTHMA, MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, DIABETES
Between 13% and 32% of children and young people experience chronic or long-term health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, asthma, and myalgic encephalomyelitis [Prior reviews have consistently highlighted the need for developmentally appropriate interventions that promote better psychological functioning among youth with chronic illness [Although there is substantial evidence demonstrating that digital mental health interventions are effective for improving mental health among children and young people [Self-compassion was considered a reasonable intervention target based on consultations with young people as well as evidence supporting its utility with this target group. As conceptualized by Neff [Self-compassion is associated with adaptive psychological outcomes in people experiencing both acute [Self-compassion may promote better mental health outcomes for young people with chronic conditions in several ways. However, one of the dominant explanatory models of self-compassion highlights the mechanistic role of emotion regulation [Prior work by Sirois and colleagues [Given the potential benefits of self-compassion–based interventions for young people with chronic conditions, we sought to test Self-Compassion Online, a web-based, self-guided program designed to improve well-being and reduce distress by increasing self-compassion [