A person-centered approach to compassion: Linking profiles of compassion to attachment and psychological outcomes.

Capacities for giving compassion to others, being open to others' compassion, and self-compassion are not always balanced for everyone. Identifying unique compassion profiles provides a holistic understanding of how the balance or imbalance among different facets of compassion relates to psychopathology and well-being. Using latent profile analysis (LPA) with U.S. college students (N = 884), the present research revealed four profiles: low compassion, moderate compassion, high compassion, and self-sacrificing compassion. Participants in the moderate and high compassion profiles presented with the lowest psychological distress and highest well-being. Participants in the self-sacrificing compassion profile (i.e., high compassion for others, low compassion from others, and low self-compassion) demonstrated the highest distress and lowest well-being. The study also found that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance predicted greater odds of being classified as low compassion and self-sacrificing compassion compared with the other two profiles. These findings suggest the need to consider the full picture of how compassion toward self and others manifests for an individual, as this might have important implications in psychotherapy and educational settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).