Validity and Reliability of Self-Love Measurement Tool: A Pilot Study among College Students in Malaysia ()
1. Introduction
“Mental health is the component of behavioural health that includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being” (CDC, 2024). Mental health disorders are among the most critical public health issues globally (Moitra et al., 2023). The Malaysian Ministry of Health reported a 29% prevalence of mental health problems among adults in 2015, representing a threefold increase since 1996 (Raaj et al., 2021). Suicide is the second most leading contributor to mortality among adolescents and young adults, claiming approximately 800,000 lives annually and being a significant public health concern (Martinez-Ales et al., 2020). The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an epidemic of stress, loneliness, and depressive feelings spreading slowly in society, especially after the widespread mental health issues (Cigna, 2021; Weinstein, 2023).
Validated assessment of positive psychological functioning and outcomes related to hope and well-being is a major breakthrough in mental health definition, especially since new empirical indicators such as life satisfaction, purpose, personal growth, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, autonomy, and positive relationship with oneself are considered holistically (Wang, 2022). “Loving oneself enables a person to achieve an inner peace that uplifts, enriches, and rewards” (Jeffrey, 2022). The most common interpretation of love from contemporary literature reviews appears to be love as it is experienced in the interpersonal and largely romantic sense, categorized by emotion, intent, and psychological state (Malinowska, 2022). However, the modern literature identifies love as a critical factor towards experiencing acceptance, healing, and learning (Gates et al., 2022). Self-love is the act of appreciating oneself and discovering one’s unique self physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually (Covey, 2004). The gift of self-love allows an individual to acknowledge their intrinsic worth and to understand that a satisfying existence is attained through personal improvement and the endeavour to enhance the world (Bhuyan et al., 2022). The scientific term for self-love is self-positivity bias, which is defined by the way people rate themselves as possessing more positive personality traits and displaying more positive behaviours than the average population (Asghar, 2022). Self-love is all about eradicating the judging that we grow up with. It becomes an exciting tool to remove the “no use” thoughts and build ourselves for living our lives. Judging ourselves and others is the main barrier that separates us from knowing ourselves truly. We have thoughts that constantly give ideas and perceptions that turn to judgment. These judgmental thoughts can be damaging or uplifting; it all depends on your self-love in yourself and the environment. So, it is crucial to learn to understand self through self-love fully. As you love yourself unconditionally, there are only good thoughts that bring better perceptions and ideas of what you perceive around you. It will help you to create a better life for you and your contribution to the environment (Karamjeet, 2019).
The emotions of fear and uncertainty triggered distress and affected harmony in people’s lives, thus contributing to the negative state of feelings, including stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and poor emotional well-being following the pandemic (Weinstein, 2023). On 13th May 2020, the United Nations (UN) effectively launched the Policy Brief on COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health, which stated that mental health services are an essential part of all government responses to COVID-19 (UN, 2020; WHO, 2022). Additionally, the UN SDGs and the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 aim to reduce global suicide mortality by one-third by 2030. Live Life’s key mental health approach targets fostering the socio-emotional life skills in adolescents and their early identification, assessment, management, and follow-up of suicidal behaviours (WHO, 2021). Mental health is characterized by an internal process of self-care based on the Grounded Theory approach. This theory emphasizes self-awareness and self-regulation, wherein individuals strive to harmonize their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours both intra-personally and interpersonally to achieve an optimal state of well-being and the absence of mental disorders (Coronel-Santos & Rodríguez-Macías, 2022). Due to the adverse effects of pandemic on the mental health status of students, Mir et al. (2023) strongly recommended the need for implementing public health measures such as resilience-centred interventions to facilitate vulnerable students with better coping mechanisms and promote good mental health in young individuals. Positive coping method is particularly valuable in developing resilience and adapting to certain adversities (Sölva et al., 2023). Scientifically, it has been also proven that sustained positive emotions, such as appreciation, love or compassion, are associated with a highly ordered or coherent pattern in the heart rhythms (McCraty & Zayas, 2014). Aristotle’s philosophical teachings have highlighted the positive impact of self-love on humans. He said it’s not just natural but beneficial and righteous, and we should only love what’s beneficial for us (Cremaldi, 2022). “The very best man, being his own greatest benefactor and most truly lovable for his own sake, should have not the least but the greatest love for himself” (Pangle, 2002). Human psychology demonstrates that self-compassion and self-love can significantly influence mental health and emotional well-being (Quinlan, 2021). Higher levels of self-compassion are associated with increased happiness, optimism, curiosity, and social connectedness, as well as decreased anxiety, depression, rumination, and fear of failure (Weinstein, 2023). Asghar (2022) stated that positively biased self-views are argued to be a key component of healthy psychological functioning, influencing self-esteem, motivation, and determination. Positive social relationships enhance self-compassion as one practises love positively, the inner wellbeing becomes an amazing energy influencer to self and everything in life that he or she connects to, which in turn fosters relational and emotional well-being (Lathren et al., 2021).
Self-love is an indication of self-motivational skills, as the drive of inner love facilitates a positive living approach by increasing their self-esteem and self-worth, which continuously rewires the mental state programming from negative to positive thoughts (Waugh & Fredrickson, 2011). It enhances the feelings of happiness, gratitude, and connection to others, fostering healthier relationships and positive emotional well-being (Maharaj & April, 2017). Self-love is an important tool to be practiced from young life to adulthood. It helps to create positive thinking patterns that ultimately lead to positive behaviours, practices, and actions in life (Koosis, 2024). Cultivating self-love is essential for enhancing self-esteem and mental well-being, thereby serving as a protective factor against stress and suicidal ideation. Research indicates that individuals with higher self-esteem are better equipped to manage psychological distress, reducing the risk of developing suicidal thoughts (Tan Dat et al., 2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis have demonstrated that interventions aimed at boosting self-esteem can effectively decrease suicidal behaviours (Dat et al., 2022). Additionally, fostering self-compassion, a key component of self-love has been associated with lower levels of suicidal thoughts and non-suicidal self-injury (Suh & Jeong, 2021). These findings underscore the importance of nurturing self-love and self-esteem as vital strategies in promoting mental health and preventing suicide. Although self-love is highly recommended for facilitating positive mental health status, existing gaps in literature fails to address the practical application of self-love, and its measurement in a real-world setting. Therefore, this study aims to develop a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of self-love among young adults and help in suicide mitigation.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Setting
A pilot study was performed for 4 weeks to test the feasibility of the study instrument for the measurement of self-love. This study involved the adaptation and preparation of questionnaire through literature review, validation of study questionnaire, reliability assessment, followed by data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results to present the feasibility and usefulness of self-love questionnaire. The study questionnaire was set in English Language for the ease of understanding of the target population. The validity and reliability of the study tool were assessed to interpret the overall content, relatedness, and appropriateness of questionnaire so that any necessary modifications can be carried out before proceeding with final data collection.
2.2. Study Participants
The pilot study employed 35 participants to assess the validity and reliability of the self-love measurement tool, aligning with standard psychometric practices and considering feasibility constraints. Recent guidelines suggest that a sample size of 30 per group may be adequate to establish feasibility and reliability assessments for quantitative studies (Bujang et al., 2024; Teresi et al., 2022).
A total number of 35 subjects from a local college in Malaysia, participated in this cross-sectional survey. Students from all faculties and courses, both male and female gender, between the age group of 16 - 35 years were considered for inclusion. Whereas students with any serious medical history (mental illness, chronic physical condition, substance abuse, and disability), and those unwilling to participate voluntarily were excluded. Google Forms was the chosen platform to prepare and send out the study questionnaire specifically to individuals who fit in the eligibility criteria. Volunteer participants were informed about the purpose of the study and of their rights and expectations. Written informed consent was obtained prior to the data collection procedure. Students who agreed to participate were instructed to complete the questionnaires as honestly and thoroughly as possible, and anonymity of participants was strictly maintained.
2.3. Research Instrument
Self-love assessment questionnaire comprised of 10 items, which are based on the self-worth and coping mechanism in a stressful situation. The 10-items self-love questionnaire is based on daily living situation that triggers deep emotional and mental thoughts and may impact an individual. The items give a clarity of measurement on loving self after the situations one faces. The measurement will ensure the level of one’s self-love in living life based on being positive or negative of self. The measure is set on a 5-point Likert-scale anchored by “very difficult” to “very easy” responses. A higher score would be an indication of positive appraisal, which means that the person loves own self and can adapt in a situation regardless of the difficulty he/she faces in that situation or in life, and is able to cope with the challenges/stress. Whereas a lower score would indicate negative appraisal, means the person feels burdened/stressed and has lost the love for self, due to the difficulties he/she faces in a challenging situation. The mental and emotional measurement helps the individual to be aware and work on self-ability by living a positive mind frame involving self-love.
2.4. Data Analysis
Data was analysed using SPSS version 21.0. Pearson’s correlation test was employed to assess the construct validity since it measures the linear association between quantitative variables. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to give an orientation for the internal consistency of the items in self-love instrument. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic data and presented in tabular form. Differences were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.
3. Results
3.1. Demographic Characteristics
The study participants comprised mostly of undergraduate students aged 16 - 35 years, predominantly females, and Malaysian nationals.
3.2. Validity of Self-Love Tool
The validity of an instrument is directly related to how it measures and what it intends to measure. Thus, an instrument is said to be valid when its construction and applicability allows it to measure its target (Taherdoost, 2016). The validation of the self-love instrument adopted both content and construct validity. The first step to validate the instrument involved testing its content validity, to identify the clarity of language, practical pertinence, and theoretical relevance. This verification was conducted by three expert assessors/reviewers with doctorate degrees who were selected according to the corresponding area of this research. They assessed each of the 10 questions that composed the instrument according to its theoretical relevance on self-love mental/emotional thoughts patterns, and coping mechanism in stressful life moments or goal related projects. The evaluators rated the questions on a four-point Likert scale, determining the degree of validity of each indicator based on its relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. For the items that received a score lower than 3, alteration suggestions were requested (Shariff et al., 2021). According to the evaluators’ assessment, the study instrument attained good validation scores as shown in Table 1 below. It was observed that the questionnaire’s relevance and simplicity were high (90.0% and 70.0% respectively), clarity was moderate (40.0%), and the ambiguity was low (30.0%). The majority of the items related to stress management, life challenges, self-love, and decision-making were deemed relevant, clear, simple, and not ambiguous. However, some items, particularly handling multiple tasks with tight schedules and moving forward after mistakes required some minor revision to improve its clarity and simplicity. The summary of the three validators’ scoring responses regarding self-love questionnaire is attached in the supplementary file.
Table 1. Summary of total validation scores.
Item |
Percentage (%) |
Remark |
Relevance |
90.0 |
High |
Clarity |
40.0 |
Moderate |
Simplicity |
70.0 |
High |
Ambiguity |
30.0 |
Low |
After content validation, a pilot test on 35 students was conducted to test the feasibility of the study’s design and the clarity of the instrument. The test revealed that the students understood the instrument, eliminating the need for any further changes, and subsequently, the construct validity was tested. In order to assess construct validity, Pearson’s correlation was employed. Pearson’s correlation is commonly used to verify the intensity of the existing linear association between variables and it measures the linear association between quantitative variables. This coefficient is a number between −1 and 1 that expresses the degree of linear dependence between two quantitative variables. If negative, it indicates that one variable decreases as the other increases; if positive, it indicates that one variable increases as the other increases (Akoglu, 2018). The “r” values are distributed as follows: r = 0 - 0.25, very low correlation; r = 0.26 - 0.49, low correlation; r = 0.5 - 0.69, moderate correlation; r = 0.7 - 0.89, high or strong correlation; and r = 0.9 - 1.0, very high or very strong correlation (Akoglu, 2018). Pearson’s correlation was employed because the instrument presents linear association between the criteria presented. According to the test results, items 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 demonstrated high correlation (r = 0.7 - 0.89), items 2, 5, 6, 9 showed moderate correlation (0.5 - 0.69), and only item 10 had low correlation (r = 0.26 - 0.49) as shown below in Table 2.
Table 2. Validity test results of self-love research instrument.
Item No. |
r Count |
Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) |
Interpretation |
1 |
0.721 |
0.000 |
Valid |
2 |
0.547 |
0.001 |
Valid |
3 |
0.706 |
0.000 |
Valid |
4 |
0.719 |
0.000 |
Valid |
5 |
0.570 |
0.000 |
Valid |
6 |
0.568 |
0.000 |
Valid |
7 |
0.758 |
0.000 |
Valid |
8 |
0.740 |
0.000 |
Valid |
9 |
0.530 |
0.001 |
Valid |
10 |
0.427 |
0.010 |
Valid |
3.3. Reliability of Self-Love Tool
Reliability or trustworthiness seeks to identify how consistent are the scores obtained by the same subjects surveyed when they are re-examined, which occurs through the application of the same instrument on another occasion (Drost, 2011). The reliability test was performed to determine the stability or consistency of the internal measurement results. A measuring instrument is said to be reliable if used repeatedly against one object to produce the same result (Ghazali, 2016). The reliability technique used to check the internal consistency between other items involved using the reliability coefficient-Cronbach’s alpha. Although determinant values higher than 0.7 are considered ideal, values under 0.7, but close to 0.6, can be regarded as satisfactory (Taber, 2018).
The Cronbach’s alpha values presented in this instrument ranged between 0.798 - 0.835. The only item that obtained 0.798 was item 7 in questionnaire. The results revealed that all of the items presented values higher than 0.7, which indicated good reliability of the research tool (Table 3). Thus, it is possible to conclude that the proposed instrument is valid and applicable, seeing that it met all of the parameters necessary for validation and reliability.
Table 3. Reliability test results of self-love research instrument.
Item No. |
Cronbach’s Alpha (if items were discarded) |
Interpretation |
1 |
0.804 |
Reliable |
2 |
0.821 |
Reliable |
3 |
0.806 |
Reliable |
4 |
0.804 |
Reliable |
5 |
0.824 |
Reliable |
6 |
0.822 |
Reliable |
7 |
0.798 |
Reliable |
8 |
0.801 |
Reliable |
9 |
0.826 |
Reliable |
10 |
0.835 |
Reliable |
3.4. Self-Love Assessment
The pilot study aimed to evaluate the responses to a self-love questionnaire involving 35 young participants. Each item was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale starting from 1 = “Very difficult” to 5 = “Very easy”. A higher score was an indication of greater self-love. The study findings revealed that participants generally found practicing positive thinking and self-love relatively manageable, with higher ratings indicating ease in these areas. However, significant challenges were observed in managing stress, multitasking, forgiving oneself and others, and overcoming mistakes or losses, as these items frequently were scored as “Difficult” or “Very difficult”. Decision-making during challenges and transforming past fears into positive outcomes were also moderately challenging, with most responses falling in the “Neither easy nor difficult” category. The descriptive analysis for self-love is presented in Table 4 as follows.
Table 4. Pilot study responses for self-love questionnaire.
|
|
|
Total Respondents: n = 35 (%) |
Items |
Self-love Questions |
Mean (SD) |
Very difficult |
Difficult |
Neither easy nor difficult |
Easy |
Very easy |
1 |
How do you find yourself handling stress situation? |
2.80 (0.901) |
1 (2.9) |
12 (34.3) |
18 (51.4) |
1 (2.9) |
3 (8.6) |
2 |
With the current life happening, how do you feel life been for you? Please rate from easy to very difficult. |
2.83 (0.785) |
2 (5.7) |
8 (22.9) |
19 (54.3) |
6 (17.1) |
0 (0.0) |
3 |
How do you find ability to manage multiple tasks with tight schedule? |
2.46 (1.146) |
8 (22.9) |
11 (31.4) |
10 (28.6) |
4 (11.4) |
2 (5.6) |
4 |
Positive thinking is important in living life, do you believe practising positive thinking always is easy or difficult? |
3.11 (0.932) |
1 (2.9) |
9 (25.7) |
11 (31.4) |
13 (37.1) |
1 (2.9) |
5 |
Loving self is becoming an important factor to create positive living. Please choose the scale from easy to very difficult on how would you rate yourself in loving being you? |
3.37 (1.140) |
2 (5.7) |
6 (17.1) |
10 (28.6) |
11 (31.4) |
6 (17.1) |
6 |
Every day in life, decision making is crucial act for everyone. Please rate your feelings about making decision especially during challenges. |
2.83 (1.043) |
3 (8.6) |
11 (31.4) |
12 (34.3) |
7 (20.0) |
2 (5.7) |
7 |
Mistakes is always seem negative impact to oneself. Is it easy for you to move ahead after making mistakes that may hinder your dreams? Please choose the scale on your true feelings from easy to very difficult. |
2.54 (1.146) |
7 (20.0) |
11 (31.4) |
10 (28.6) |
5 (14.3) |
2 (5.7) |
8 |
Being hurt by someone can be very painful and you may feel regret knowing the person. Will it be easy for you to forgive self and the person who hurt you? |
2.40 (1.168) |
9 (25.7) |
12 (34.3) |
6 (17.1) |
7 (20.0) |
1 (2.9) |
9 |
You may face losses that is too close to you. How will you rate yourself on bouncing back to create new path for you overall again? |
2.60 (1.006) |
5 (14.3) |
11 (31.4) |
13 (37.1) |
5 (14.3) |
1 (2.9) |
10 |
If there has been negative incident in past has triggered deep fear within you. How do you find yourself ability to change the past fear to positive self? Please rate your feelings to change from easy to very difficult. |
2.66 (0.968) |
5 (14.3) |
9 (25.7) |
14 (40.0) |
7 (20.0) |
0 (0.0) |
The results of the self-love measurement indicate that a majority of respondents (48.6%) fell within the moderate self-love category, reflecting a balanced but potentially improvable level of self-love. A significant portion (42.9%) exhibited low self-love, suggesting the need for targeted efforts to enhance self-esteem and self-acceptance. Only a small fraction (8.6%) demonstrated high self-love, highlighting that a minority of respondents have a strong and positive sense of self compared to others. The mean score for self-love was 27.60 (SD = 6.482) as shown in Table 5 below.
Table 5. Respondents’ self-love measurement.
Self-love Interpretation |
Frequency (%) |
Mean score (SD) |
Low (<25) |
15 (42.9) |
27.60 (6.482) |
Moderate (26 - 37) |
17 (48.6) |
High (38 - 50) |
3 (8.6) |
4. Discussion
Self-love is a crucial element of human existence, including both personal and ethical importance. It promotes health and longevity, encouraging individuals to pursue their own well-being and excellence (Xue et al., 2021). Significant negative effects have been reported in the post-pandemic era since certain factors predisposed to the worsening of mental health status especially among young adults (Mir et al., 2023). Stressful life experiences often pre-exist before suicidal attempts, establishing them as a well-established predictor of suicidal behaviour (Berardelli et al., 2020). The human experience involves a continuous evolution of one’s aspirations and inspirations regarding love. When individuals are exposed to pressure, hostility, or a lack of a nurturing environment, their stress-coping mechanisms may become dysfunctional. Over time, this can negatively impact self-esteem, leading to negative thought patterns that may contribute to suicidal tendencies (Kupcewicz et al., 2024). Consequently, the cultivation of self-love may serve as a valuable contemporary approach for enhancing one’s self-esteem, promoting positive stress management, and mitigating suicidal ideation.
The pilot study findings indicate that the self-love questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of self-love in a practical setting. The tool was designed considering its theoretical applicability to self-love, mental/emotional thinking patterns, and coping strategies during stressful life events or goal-related endeavours. The face and content validation were carried out by an expert panel of academics using a 4-point Likert scale to evaluate the items based on their relevance, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. Most items related to stress management, life challenges, self-love, and decision-making were found to be relevant, clear, simple, and unambiguous. However, some minor refinements were done to improve the tool’s clarity and simplicity, and enhance its applicability in diverse contexts.
Construct validity showed that majority of the items exhibited strong to moderate correlation on Pearson’s test. However, item 10 was the only one with low correlation value, according to the study results. Item 10 emphasizes the negative incidents that happened around a person in the past and may have caused inner scars for life. The practice of self-love and positive thinking during such circumstances to eliminate the impact of such invisible scars may seem challenging and hence could attribute to the lower correlation value. Finally, the results also revealed good reliability of the self-love instrument showing good internal consistency and the potential to be used in future studies.
Overall, the self-love questionnaire was able to assess the individuals’ daily living situations through their intense emotional and mental thinking patterns. The respondents were able to relate with the items’ clarity for measuring and loving self after a difficult/challenging situation that an individual faces. This measurement was quantified by the positive or negative self-love appraisal level from “very difficult” to “very easy” rating. A higher score demonstrated positive appraisal, indicating that the individual is able to manage stress and obstacles and loves and accepts own self, despite of the difficulties they he/she may encounter in life or in a given situation. A lower score, on the other hand, suggested a negative appraisal, which indicates that the individual has lost their love for themselves and feels burdened or stressed as a result of the challenges they are facing. This study tool adopts self-awareness and the cultivation of a positive mindset, both mentally and emotionally, to enable individuals recognize and develop their personal capabilities and promote the healthy practice of self-love.
Our findings are well supported by the Fredrickson’s theory of positive emotions which signifies that self-love helps in building valuable personal resources by fostering positive emotions such as self-acceptance and joy to improve the odds of successful coping and survival (Fredrickson, 2004). This enables individuals to broaden their thought-action repertoire, leading to creative and exploratory behaviours that can enhance their personal growth, self-esteem, and social connections. In addition, the logic-based theory also empowers the cultivation of a balanced and healthy form of self-love to contribute positively to their overall emotional well-being (Guajardo, 2021). This holistic approach not only enhances an individual’s self-worth by loving oneself but also facilitates healthier relationships, ultimately leading to a more stable and fulfilling self-realization.
The pilot findings suggest that while self-love and positive thinking were perceived as manageable for most participants, challenges related to stress management, multitasking, and emotional resilience were more pronounced. These difficulties could stem from the inherent complexity and emotional weight of these situations, which require higher levels of cognitive and emotional resources. Handling stress, forgiving oneself and others, and overcoming mistakes or losses are often deeply personal and context-dependent, making them difficult for many individuals. The moderate difficulty in decision-making and transforming past fears into positive outcomes could reflect the psychological barriers that arise when faced with uncertainty or past trauma. By identifying these challenges, the study highlights areas where individuals may need additional support, guidance, or coping strategies, validating the need for tailored interventions to promote emotional well-being and resilience.
The self-love tool aligns with the United Nation’s and World Health Organization’s joint efforts on promoting mental well-being and preventing mental health crises (UN, 2020; WHO, 2022). WHO emphasizes the importance of early interventions to build resilience, improve self-esteem, and reduce the risk of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and suicide (WHO, 2021). By fostering self-awareness, emotional regulation, and self-compassion, the self-love tool serves as a practical instrument to cultivate positive mental health outcomes. Encouraging individuals to reflect on and improve their self-love practices can create a protective buffer against stress and life adversities, potentially saving lives by mitigating risks of mental health deterioration and promoting holistic well-being.
Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth (Asghar, 2022). Practicing self-love is essential for personal well-being and relationship success. By cultivating a positive relationship with oneself, individuals can enhance their self-esteem and overall life satisfaction (Neff, 2011). The act of self-awareness and fulfilment establishes the foundation for healthier interactions with others, leading to more stable and happier relationships. Moreover, self-love serves as a protective factor against life’s challenges, reducing stress and the risk of mental health issues (Rahe & Jansen, 2023). Social stigma and insufficient awareness of mental health issues continue to pose substantial barriers to enhancing mental healthcare, necessitating the implementation of national mental health education programs to address this global challenge (Raaj et al., 2021). By practicing self-love, individuals can be better equipped to cope with stress, manage emotional challenges, and build positive thinking patterns. This, in turn, contributes to improved mental health and resilience, enabling young people to navigate the challenges of modern life more effectively (Sety et al., 2024). Our study on self-love exploration aligns with the current research paper (Waters et al., 2022) investigating the impact of positive psychology on mental health during the post-pandemic era. The study further recommended that individuals can build emotional strength, maintain better mental well-being, and improve their coping strategies during difficult times by bolstering self-love. In summary, it can be concluded that emotional well-being is strongly influenced by relationships and love, with self-love playing a vital role in enhancing and prioritizing our mental health (Ross et al., 2023).
5. Conclusion
This research paper delved into the multifaceted aspects of self-love, exploring its theoretical underpinnings, psychological benefits, and practical implications for fostering a healthy and compassionate relationship with oneself. Self-love intervention can be beneficial as it has proven to expand more awareness to love the self positively and create better mental health, thus saving lives. It has no risk as its non-invasive and safe method. The results of the preliminary investigation suggest that the self-love assessment is a valid and consistent instrument for quantifying self-love in real-world applications.
5.1. Implications and Future Interventions
Self-love is a fundamental concept that has gained increasing attention in recent years, as its profound impact on overall well-being, personal growth, and interpersonal relationships, has been recognized by people. The findings of this study will help future researchers and academicians to administer a validated tool for self-love assessment in case of similar research areas. Identifying the interconnections between physiological markers and suicide risk can lead to practical applications in clinical, healthcare, and social service settings. Professionals such as physicians, psychologists, social workers, and general practitioners may leverage this knowledge to develop and implement effective suicide prevention strategies.
In the long-run, corporate sectors, government bodies and educational institutions can implement psychoeducational workshops to enhance, promote self-love therapy, coaching, training programs for empowering workers, implementing mental health seminars and introducing education subject on self-love to students to love themself. Positive psychology interventions, such as gratitude journaling, self-affirmations, self-love inner talk, mindfulness, building new belief thoughts can further build self-esteem, self-worth, acceptance, and appreciation. Peer support programs and mentorship initiatives can provide emotional encouragement, while motivational programs services can offer personalized guidance and self-love resources. These strategies could be developed to foster emotional resilience, positive self-perception, and overall positive well-being.
5.2. Limitations and Recommendations
Due to the relatively small sample size and single-centred participant recruitment approach, the magnitude and significance of the pilot study findings remain limited and may not be attributable to the general population. Hence, a larger and more diverse sample from multiple educational institutions should be considered for future research and recruited using the probability sampling method. It should also be taken into consideration that the current study included students from an educational institute only; therefore, future studies comparing different study populations from other sectors, as well as clinical population at high risk of suicide are highly recommended. At the same time, future longitudinal studies can be conducted to assess the long-term impact of tailored mental health interventions by administering the self-love questionnaire at multiple time intervals and measuring changes in self-love outcome over a specific course of time. The pilot study primarily focused on developing and evaluating the feasibility of the self-love measurement tool in a real-world setting. This would help identify potential associations and the positive or negative influences these factors may have on self-love, providing deeper insights for targeted interventions and mental health programs.
Supplement Tables
The summary of the three validators’ detailed scoring responses regarding study questionnaire is illustrated below (Tables A1-A4).
Table A1. Summary of Validators’ responses regarding study questionnaire’s Relevance.
No. |
Items’ Relevance |
Validators’ Response |
Interpretation |
JF |
GM |
AS |
|
1 |
How do you find yourself handling stress situation? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
2 |
With the current life happening, how do you feel life been for you? Please rate from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
3 |
How do you find ability to manage multiple tasks with tight schedule? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision may be required/potentially is clear |
4 |
Positive thinking is important in living life, do you believe practising positive thinking always is easy or difficult? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
5 |
Loving self is becoming an important factor to create positive living. Please choose the scale from easy to very difficult on how would you rate yourself in loving being you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
6 |
Every day in life, decision making is crucial act for everyone. Please rate your feelings about making decision especially during challenges. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
7 |
Mistakes is always seemed negative impact to oneself. Is it easy for you to move ahead after making mistakes that may hinder your dreams? Please choose the scale on your true feelings from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
8 |
Being hurt by someone can be very painful and you may feel regret knowing the person. Will it be easy for you to forgive self and the person who hurt you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
9 |
You may face losses that is too close to you. How will you rate yourself on bouncing back to create new path for you overall again? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
10 |
If there has been negative incident in past has triggered deep fear within you. How do you find yourself ability to change the past fear to positive self? Please rate your feelings to change from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Relevant |
Table A2. Summary of Validators’ responses regarding study questionnaire’s Clarity.
No. |
Items’ Clarity |
Validators’ Response |
Interpretation |
JF |
GM |
AF |
|
1 |
How do you find yourself handling stress situation? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
2 |
With the current life happening, how do you feel life been for you? Please rate from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
3 |
How do you find ability to manage multiple tasks with tight schedule? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
4 |
Positive thinking is important in living life, do you believe practising positive thinking always is easy or difficult? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
5 |
Loving self is becoming an important factor to create positive living. Please choose the scale from easy to very difficult on how would you rate yourself in loving being you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
6 |
Every day in life, decision making is crucial act for everyone. Please rate your feelings about making decision especially during challenges. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
7 |
Mistakes is always seemed negative impact to oneself. Is it easy for you to move ahead after making mistakes that may hinder your dreams? Please choose the scale on your true feelings from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
8 |
Being hurt by someone can be very painful and you may feel regret knowing the person. Will it be easy for you to forgive self and the person who hurt you? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
9 |
You may face losses that is too close to you. How will you rate yourself on bouncing back to create new path for you overall again? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
10 |
If there has been negative incident in past has triggered deep fear within you. How do you find yourself ability to change the past fear to positive self? Please rate your feelings to change from easy to very difficult. |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
Table A3. Summary of Validators’ responses regarding study questionnaire’s Simplicity.
No. |
Items’ Simplicity |
Validators’ Response |
Interpretation |
JF |
GM |
AF |
|
1 |
How do you find yourself handling stress situation? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
2 |
With the current life happening, how do you feel life been for you? Please rate from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
3 |
How do you find ability to manage multiple tasks with tight schedule? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
4 |
Positive thinking is important in living life, do you believe practising positive thinking always is easy or difficult? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
5 |
Loving self is becoming an important factor to create positive living. Please choose the scale from easy to very difficult on how would you rate yourself in loving being you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
6 |
Every day in life, decision making is crucial act for everyone. Please rate your feelings about making decision especially during challenges. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
7 |
Mistakes is always seemed negative impact to oneself. Is it easy for you to move ahead after making mistakes that may hinder your dreams? Please choose the scale on your true feelings from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
8 |
Being hurt by someone can be very painful and you may feel regret knowing the person. Will it be easy for you to forgive self and the person who hurt you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
9 |
You may face losses that is too close to you. How will you rate yourself on bouncing back to create new path for you overall again? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Simple |
10 |
If there has been negative incident in past has triggered deep fear within you. How do you find yourself ability to change the past fear to positive self? Please rate your feelings to change from easy to very difficult. |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
Table A4. Summary of Validators’ responses regarding study questionnaire’s Ambiguity.
No. |
Items’ Ambiguity |
Validators’ Response |
Interpretation |
JF |
GM |
AF |
|
1 |
How do you find yourself handling stress situation? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
2 |
With the current life happening, how do you feel life been for you? Please rate from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
3 |
How do you find ability to manage multiple tasks with tight schedule? |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |
4 |
Positive thinking is important in living life, do you believe practising positive thinking always is easy or difficult? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
5 |
Loving self is becoming an important factor to create positive living. Please choose the scale from easy to very difficult on how would you rate yourself in loving being you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
6 |
Every day in life, decision making is crucial act for everyone. Please rate your feelings about making decision especially during challenges. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
7 |
Mistakes is always seemed negative impact to oneself. Is it easy for you to move ahead after making mistakes that may hinder your dreams? Please choose the scale on your true feelings from easy to very difficult. |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
8 |
Being hurt by someone can be very painful and you may feel regret knowing the person. Will it be easy for you to forgive self and the person who hurt you? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
9 |
You may face losses that is too close to you. How will you rate yourself on bouncing back to create new path for you overall again? |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Clear |
10 |
If there has been negative incident in past has triggered deep fear within you. How do you find yourself ability to change the past fear to positive self? Please rate your feelings to change from easy to very difficult. |
X |
✓ |
✓ |
Revision maybe required/potentially is clear |