Chronic pain negatively affects psychological functioning including self-perception. Self-
compassion may improve self-related functioning in patients with chronic pain but
understanding of the neural mechanisms is limited. In this study, twenty patients with chronic
low back pain read negative self-related situations and were instructed to be either self-
reassuring or self-critical while undergoing fMRI. Patients rated their feelings of self-
reassurance and self-criticism during each condition, and brain responses were contrasted …