The role of apology in the self-forgiveness-health link: Self-forgiveness predicts physical health via mental health

The present study investigated (a) whether there are different levels of self-forgiveness between those who have offered an apology to their victim and those who have not, (b) whether self-forgiveness has indirect effects on physical health via mental health, and (c) whether such effects depend on the apology. Participants ( N = 235) were from a large faith-based institution. They first recalled a time in which they offended another individual and filled out a series of measures online. Main outcome measures included transgression-specific self-forgiveness (i.e., state self-forgiveness), transgression-general self-forgiveness (i.e., trait self-forgiveness), anger, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and fatigue. Findings supported the effect of apology on self-forgiveness after accounting for offense severity and trait self-forgiveness. Also, self-forgiveness had indirect effects on physical health (i.e., sleep, fatigue) via mental health (i.e., anger, anxiety, depression); however, such effects were not dependent on the participants’ apology. Findings suggest that having offered an apology helps with forgiving the self and that self-forgiveness may lead to better physical health via improvement in mental health, apart from having offered an apology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)