Matching cues to attention: how visual and social cues differentially benefit students with low sustained or selective attention.

Self-compassion, a concept rooted in Buddhist philosophy for over 2500 years, has more recently gained recognition in Western societies for its role in promoting health and well-being (Neff, ). Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, recognising shared human experiences and maintain mindful awareness during times of difficulty (Neff, , p. 87). Theoretically, self-compassion is understood as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy that buffers against negative self-evaluation and psychological distress. It has been consistently associated with lower levels of anxiety, stress and depression, alongside improvements in self-work, happiness and interpersonal relationships (Booth et al., ; Ferrari et al., ; Neff, ). Infertility is a significant global health concerns, affecting approximately 48.5 million couples worldwide (World Health Organization, ). In Australia, one in six couples experience infertility, with prevalence increasing due to a range of social and medical factors (IVF Australia, ), Genea Fertility SA (Genea Fertility SA, ). The World Health Organisation defines infertility as ‘the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse’ (World Health Organization, ). Beyond its medical definition, infertility is widely recognised as a psychological challenging life event (Chen et al., ; Chernoff et al., ; Cousineau & Domar, ; Kang et al., ; Rooney & Domar, ; Sormunen et al., ). Women, in particular, experience elevated rates of mental health disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder (23.2%), major depression (17.0%) and dysthymia (9.8%) (Chen et al., ). Infertility has been conceptualised as a developmental crisis, disrupting life expectations and identity (Cousineau & Domar, ; Sexton et al., ). Although both partners are affected, women often report greater emotional burden, including heightened stress and social pressure (Ferreira et al., ; Galhardo et al., ). Many individuals pursue assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) which introduces additional physical, emotional and financial demands (Bakhtiyar et al., ; Kaliarnta et al., ). These challenges highlight the importance of psychological interventions that support coping and emotional resilience. Approaches targeting emotion regulation, mindfulness and adaptive coping, including self-compassion, have shown promise in improving psychological outcomes and quality of life during fertility treatment (Berking et al., ; Haica, ).