Self-compassion in context: a reflexive thematic analysis of migrant domestic workers’ experiences in Singapore
Yeoh, Lai Lin Rachel, and Barlas, Joanna (2026) Self-compassion in context: a reflexive thematic analysis of migrant domestic workers’ experiences in Singapore. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 21 (1). 2617449.
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Abstract
Objectives Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) face adverse living and working conditions that place them at a heightened risk of poor mental health outcomes. While prior research has examined MDWs’ coping strategies and resilience, little is known about how they understand and engage in self-compassion, an intrapersonal process strongly linked to mental well-being. This study aimed to examine how MDWs conceptualize self-compassion and the sociocultural factors that influence their capacity to practice it.
Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten female Filipino and Indonesian MDWs living in Singapore recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results Three interrelated themes were generated: (1) grounding self-compassion in self-worth and identity, (2) contextual conditions shaping self-compassion, and (3) enacting self-compassion in everyday life. These themes illustrate the complex interplay between participants’ internalized self-perceptions, cultural narratives, and structural conditions that shape their engagement with self-compassion.
Conclusions The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of self-compassion in marginalized caregiving populations. They advocate for the need to address structural determinants of MDWs’ well-being and to develop culturally sensitive psychoeducation and interventions.
| Item ID: | 90310 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1748-2631 |
| Keywords: | self-compassion, migrant domestic workers, reflexive thematic analysis, sociocultural context, well-being |
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| Copyright Information: | © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
| Funders: | James Cook University Singapore Internal Research Grant |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jan 2026 01:27 |
| FoR Codes: | 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4410 Sociology > 441013 Sociology of migration, ethnicity and multiculturalism @ 50% 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520302 Clinical psychology @ 50% |
| SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200409 Mental health @ 40% 20 HEALTH > 2005 Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health) > 200505 Migrant health @ 30% 20 HEALTH > 2002 Evaluation of health and support services > 200207 Social structure and health @ 30% |
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