Child Maltreatment and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Emerging Adults: A Process Model Involving Self-esteem and Self-compassion

Childhood emotional maltreatment and emerging adults' body dissatisfaction: Self-compassion and body surveillance as explanatory mechanisms

The association between childhood emotional maltreatment and body dissatisfaction has been widely identified. However, the explanatory mechanisms for this association remain unclear. Guided by the Stress Process Model, the present study tested the potential mediating roles of self-compassion and body surveillance in the associations between emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and neglect) and body dissatisfaction. Three-wave, self-report survey data were collected from 668 Chinese young adults (66.8 % female, Mage = 19.96 years old, SD = 1.25) with a 6-month between-wave interval. Results demonstrated that childhood emotional neglect (recalled at Time 1) was positively associated with body dissatisfaction (at Time 3) through a serial mediating pathway from self-compassion (at Time 1) to body surveillance (at Time 2). In contrast, no links involving childhood emotional abuse were identified. Findings suggest that the compromised emotion regulation capacity related to self-care and the subsequent self-objectification could be key processes through which childhood emotional deprivation would be positively associated with later body dissatisfaction. Accordingly, prevention and intervention efforts aimed at combating young adults' body image issues with early adversity of emotional deprivation could integrate emotion regulation training (that can enhance self-care) and cognitive-behavioral techniques (that may reduce body surveillance) into extant programs to enhance effectiveness.

From childhood emotional abuse to adolescent loneliness: The roles of self-compassion and rejection sensitivity

BACKGROUND

Emotional abuse is one of the important risk factors for adolescent loneliness. However, there is a shortage of information regarding protective factors and potential mediating mechanisms between emotional abuse and adolescent loneliness, which require further investigation.

OBJECTIVES

The present study explored the chain mediating role of self-compassion and rejection sensitivity on the pathway from childhood emotional abuse to adolescent loneliness, based on attachment theory and a stress process model.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Five hundred sixty-seven Chinese adolescents aged 12 to 17 years participated in this study.

METHODS

An online questionnaire was utilized to assess a variety of variables including childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, self-compassion, rejection sensitivity, and loneliness. To increase the validity of the results, physical and sexual abuse were included as covariates since emotional abuse may co-occur with these types of abuse.

RESULTS

Emotional abuse in childhood is significantly positively correlated with adolescent loneliness. Emotional abuse in childhood can affect adolescent loneliness not only directly, but also indirectly through self-compassion (including its components of self-warmth and self-coldness) and rejection sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study sheds further light on the chain mediating role of self-compassion and rejection sensitivity in the relationship between emotional abuse in childhood and loneliness in adolescence, suggesting that intervention programs targeting increased self-compassion and decreased rejection sensitivity may be effective to reduce loneliness in adolescents.

"All you need is compassion?" a latent profile analysis of neglect and self-compassion on child mental health

BACKGROUND

Neglect is a common form of child maltreatment and profoundly affects children's mental health globally. Self-compassion may help children cope with neglect but the role of self-compassion in neglect context has been understudied. This study identifies distinct patterns of self-compassion and child neglect and explores how neglect and self-compassion profiles correlate with child mental health.

METHODS

The sample includes 3342 children aged 8-16 (49.6 % female) from a national survey of 29 provinces in China using a multistage sampling method. We used latent profile analysis to identify distinct profiles of self-compassion and neglect and examine their combined effects on child mental health, including both positive indicators (hope, resilience) and negative indicators (anxiety, depression, academic burnout, and peer problems).

RESULTS

We identified four neglect/self-compassion profiles: Adaptable Self-Carers (average neglect/high self-compassion), Vulnerable Languishers (high neglect/low self-compassion), Stable Self-Soothers (low neglect/average self-compassion), and Opportune Thrivers (low neglect/high self-compassion). The Vulnerable Languishers group exhibited the poorest mental health outcomes, whereas the Opportune Thrivers showed the best outcomes. Adaptable Self-Carers, although experiencing more neglect than Stable Self-Soothers, had better mental health than the latter, possibly due to their greater self-compassion.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design limits our ability to determine causality, and the use of self-reported measures increases response bias risk.

CONCLUSIONS

More self-compassion and less neglect are associated with more positive mental health outcomes. Moreover, self-compassion is a potential protective factor against the adverse effects of neglect on child mental health. Fostering self-compassion may boost positive adjustment in children who have experienced neglect.

The Association Between Child Abuse and Internet Addiction: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Child abuse is an important factor for Internet addiction. Despite numerous researches had observed there was a positive correlation between child abuse and Internet addiction, the strength of this association differed considerably in the previous studies. This study aims to obtain reliable estimates for effect sizes and investigate the potential moderator of the association between child abuse and Internet addiction. Thirty-one studies reported the association between child abuse and Internet addiction (273 effect sizes and 55,585 participants) through a systematic literature search. Based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis approach, a three-level model was employed to conduct a three-level meta-analysis. The current meta-analysis found that child abuse was significantly positively correlated with Internet addiction. Besides, the study found that the type of child abuse and publication year had significant moderating effects on the association between child abuse and Internet addiction. This study suggested child abuse was a risk factor for Internet addiction. Moreover, child abuse is an essential factor should be considered when strengthening interventions for individuals' Internet addiction.

Childhood maltreatment, shame, and self-esteem: an exploratory analysis of influencing factors on criminal behavior in juvenile female offenders

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between childhood maltreatment, shame, and self-esteem among juvenile female offenders and to explore the potential influencing factors on their criminal behavior.

METHODS

Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 1,227 juvenile female offenders from 11 provinces in China were surveyed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and a self-developed Shame Questionnaire for Juvenile Offenders. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, chi-square tests, t-tests, and structural equation modeling with mediation analysis.

RESULTS

(1) Childhood maltreatment have a significant potential influencing factors on criminal behavior; (2) Childhood maltreatment was positively correlated with self-esteem(β = 0.351, p < 0.001); (3) shame (β = 0.042, p < 0.001) mediate the relationship between Childhood maltreatment and self-esteem (childhood maltreatment → shame → self-esteem (95% Cl: 0.033, 0.052)).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that childhood maltreatment is a significant predictor of criminal behavior among juvenile female offenders. childhood maltreatment can directly influence of self-esteem, which can also affect juvenile female offenders'self-esteem indirectly through shame. The findings suggest that shame are important variables that mediate the effect of the juvenile female offenders'childhood maltreatment on their self-esteem.

Pandemic fatigue and depressive symptoms among college students in the COVID-19 context: indirect effects through sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty

Pandemic fatigue, the state of weariness, exhaustion, and demotivation to engage in protective behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have been linked with depressive symptoms. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. Based on the stress process model, the present study examined the indirect effects of pandemic fatigue on depressive symptoms through the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Data were collected from 1,162 Chinese undergraduate and postgraduate students (Mage = 21.61 years old, SD = 2.81, 64.29% women) through electronic questionnaires. The pandemic fatigue scale, the personal mastery scale, the short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the Depression subscale of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales were employed. Indirect effects were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that pandemic fatigue related to COVID-19 was positively associated with depressive symptoms through (a) sense of control; (b) intolerance of uncertainty; and (c) a sequential pathway from sense of control to intolerance of uncertainty. The findings expand the application of the stress process model to the context of COVID-19 and deepen the understanding of pandemic fatigue-depressive symptoms link with considering the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Psychological distress in the context of COVID-19 could be alleviated by the interventions on strengthening sense of control and tolerance of uncertainty and lessening the adverse effects of pandemic fatigue.

Mobile social media use and life satisfaction among adolescents: a moderated mediation model

Introduction

Adolescence is a sensitive transitional period accompanied by great physical, mental, and behavioral changes. Therefore, maintaining physical and mental health is crucial to the growth and development of adolescents. As one of the important indicators of mental health, the influencing factors of life satisfaction have been widely concerned by scholars. In recent years, with the rapid development of Internet technology, mobile social media has penetrated into all aspects of adolescents' life, which has a subtle impact on their physical and mental health. Existing studies have indicated that mobile social media use can affect adolescents' life satisfaction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms linking this association. This study developed a moderated mediation model to examine the mediating role of meaning in life and the moderating role of childhood psychological maltreatment.

Methods

A total of 1,198 adolescents across four provinces and municipalities of China completed questionnaires on mobile social media use, life satisfaction, meaning in life, and childhood psychological maltreatment.

Results

After controlling for gender and age, the results demonstrated that mobile social media use was positively associated with life satisfaction and meaning in life among adolescents. Moreover, meaning in life fully mediated the association between mobile social media use and life satisfaction. Finally, the association between mobile social media use and life satisfaction, as well as that between mobile social media use and meaning in life, was moderated by childhood psychological maltreatment. Specifically, these associations are stronger for adolescents with high levels of psychological maltreatment.

Discussion

These findings shed light on the important mechanism underlying mobile social media use's effects on adolescents' life satisfaction, which is helpful to formulate targeted measures for improving adolescents' life satisfaction.

The Influence of Positive and Negative Aspects of Perfectionism on Psychological Distress in Emerging Adulthood: Exploring the Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

Perfectionism constitutes a multidimensional personality trait. According to the diathesis-stress model, perfectionism may predispose individuals to experience increased psychological distress during stressful periods. Since self-compassion is considered as a protective factor within the context of mental health difficulties, the primary objective of this study was to explore the mediating function of self-compassion in the relationship between positive (i.e., high standards and order) and negative (i.e., discrepancy) aspects of perfectionism and psychological distress among Greek emerging adults. The sample consisted of 410 university students (47.6% males and 52.4% females), with a mean age of 20.61 ± 1.88 years. The Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) were used to assess perfectionism, self-compassion, and psychological distress, respectively. The results indicated that self-compassion mediated the association between positive and negative aspects of perfectionism and different dimensions of psychological distress (i.e., somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression). Specifically, discrepancy and increased levels of high standards were related to lower levels of self-compassion, thus leading to greater endorsement of psychological distress. In contrast, order was associated with higher levels of self-compassion, thus leading to lower levels of psychological distress. The findings of the present study highlight that self-compassion is an overall important area to examine in nonclinical populations. These findings have implications for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in enhancing individuals' self-acceptance and awareness of their perfectionistic tendencies, as well as compassion-focused therapy (CFT) in elevating self-compassion, mindfulness, and overall psychological well-being while reducing psychological distress.

Relationship between psychological detachment from work and depressive symptoms: indirect role of emotional exhaustion and moderating role of self-compassion

The importance of psychological detachment during nonwork time has been emphasized, and its effect on depressive symptoms has been identified. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains to be elucidated. This study was conducted to identify the indirect role of emotional exhaustion in the association between psychological detachment and depressive symptoms and the moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms on the basis of the recovery-engagement-exhaustion model and emotion regulation theory. Through an online survey, relevant data were collected from 727 university teachers (mean age, 37.65 ± 7.77 years; 38.5% men). Indirect and moderation effect were analyzed through structural equation modeling (Mplus). Psychological detachment was found to be associated with depressive symptoms through emotional exhaustion. Self-compassion moderated the association between emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms. The association between emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms was weaker among university teachers with high levels of self-compassion than among those with low levels of self-compassion. This study improves our understanding of the association between psychological detachment and depressive symptoms by identifying the emotional pathway and protective function of self-compassion. Interventions for improving mental health in work context should be designed considering psychological detachment and self-compassion to deal with work-induced emotional strain.

Work Stress and Personal and Relational Well-Being Among Chinese College Teachers: The Indirect Roles of Sense of Control and Work-Related Rumination

Purpose

The association between work stress and well-being has been well documented. However, the underlying mechanism for such association is not clear, especially in terms of how work stress relates to both personal and relational well-being. Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Stress Process Model, the present study examined the potential indirect roles of the sense of control and the work-related rumination in the associations between work stress and both personal and relational well-being.

Methods

Data were collected from 536 married Chinese university teachers (M_age = 39.40 + 7.64, 38.6% males) through an online survey. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling via Mplus.

Results

Work stress was indirectly associated with life satisfaction through (a) sense of control, (b) work-related rumination, and (c) a sequential pathway from sense of control to work-related rumination. Work stress was indirectly associated with relationship satisfaction through sense of control.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that sense of control would be an important linking mechanism underlying the association between work stress and college teachers' well-being. Personal well-being may be more vulnerable to work-related rumination than relational well-being. Insights for prevention and intervention efforts in enriching college teachers' well-being are discussed.

Association Between Pandemic Fatigue and Subjective Well-Being: The Indirect Role of Emotional Distress and Moderating Role of Self-Compassion

Objectives: As a stressor in the context of COVID-19 pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being. However, how pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being and what protective factors buffer this negative effect are under investigated. Based on the stress process model and emotion regulation theory, the study examined the indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress and the buffering effect of self-compassion. Methods: Data were collected from 1,162 university students (M _age = 21.61 ± 2.81, female 35.71%) through an online survey. Indirect effect analysis and conditional process analysis were conducted by the SPSS macro PROCESS. Results: Indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress was identified and self-compassion moderated the association between pandemic fatigue and emotional distress. The indirect effect of pandemic fatigue was weaker among participants with high levels of self-compassion than among those with low levels of self-compassion. Conclusion: Pandemic fatigue was negatively associated with subjective well-being through emotional distress at all levels of self-compassion. The findings deepen our understanding of the link between pandemic fatigue and well-being while considering the indirect role of emotional distress and protective function of self-compassion.

Differential Pathways from Child Maltreatment Types to Insecure Adult Attachment Styles via Psychological and Social Resources: A Bayesian Network Analysis

Child maltreatment has been linked to insecure adult attachment. However, it is not yet clear how different child maltreatment types are associated with attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood; and whether resilience against these insecure attachment styles is dependent on risk-specific resources. Therefore, this study explored differential pathways from child maltreatment types to attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood and examined whether psychological resources (self-esteem) and social resources (perceived social support) show risk-specific effects. An online survey retrospectively assessed experiences of child maltreatment, the level of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood, self-esteem, and perceived social support in N = 604 former members of fundamentalist Christian faith communities (mean age = 41.27 years, SD = 12.50; 65.90% female). Cross-sectional data was analyzed using Bayesian network analysis. Only emotional child maltreatment showed direct relationships to insecure adult attachment. Specifically, emotional abuse and emotional neglect were associated with anxious and avoidant adult attachment, respectively. The effects of other child abuse types on adult attachment were mediated through emotional abuse, which indicated patterns of complex traumatization. Self-esteem mediated the effect of emotional abuse on anxious attachment, while perceived social support mediated the effect of emotional neglect on avoidant attachment. Social support was also linked to self-esteem and was therefore also important for individuals with experiences of emotional abuse. This study showed that child maltreatment types and their interactions are meaningfully linked to attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood. Interventions for survivors of child maltreatment should focus on risk-specific resources to support their resilience.

Enduring Effects of Early Life Traumas on Adult Suicidal Ideation

Exposure to traumas early in life has been found to have a range of negative health effects later in adulthood, including a higher risk for suicidal behavior. Using data from the Waves I (1994/95) and IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 14,385; 49.35% female; Mage in Wave IV = 29), this study examines the effects of exposure to three different types of early life traumas-emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse before the age of 18-on adult suicidal ideation. Guided by the stress process model incorporated with a life-course perspective, potential mediating roles of psychological distress, subjective powerlessness, and perceived social rejection were also investigated. A series of regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analyses were performed using Stata 14 to assess the total, direct, and indirect effects. All three early life trauma measures were found to be significantly and independently associated with a higher risk of suicidal ideation in adulthood. A substantive portion (between 30 and 50%) of the effects was mediated by psychological distress (i.e., depression and anxiety), subjective powerlessness, and perceived social rejection. The general policy implications of this study include evaluating suicidal individuals for prior childhood abuse experiences and assessing abuse survivors for suicidality.

Association between self-compassion and cyber aggression in the COVID-19 context: roles of attribution and public stigma

Self-compassion is negatively associated with aggressive behaviors. However, the association between self-compassion and cyber aggression toward stigmatized people (e.g., people infected with COVID-19) has not been investigated in the COVID-19 context and the mechanism underlying this association remains underexplored. On the basis of emotion regulation theory and attribution theory, this study examined the indirect effects of self-compassion on cyber aggression toward people infected with COVID-19 through attribution and public stigma of COVID-19. Data were collected from 1162 Chinese college students (415 male, mean age = 21.61 years). Participants completed an online questionnaire including measurement of the key variables and basic demographic information. Results indicated that self-compassion was negatively associated with cyber aggression through the lower attribution of COVID-19 and lower public stigma of COVID-19. A sequential pathway from the attribution of COVID-19 to public stigma of COVID-19 was identified in the relationship between self-compassion and cyber aggression. Our findings are consistent with emotion regulation theory and attribution theory, which posit that emotion regulation strategies are associated with interpersonal mistreatment through cognitive pathways. These findings suggest that emotional self-regulation strategies can be used to reduce cyber aggression toward stigmatized people by reducing attribution and public stigma in the COVID-19 context. Self-compassion improvement could be target for the interventions aiming at alleviating public stigma and interpersonal mistreatment toward stigmatized people.

Self-Efficacy, Self-Love, and Fear of Compassion Mediate the Effect of Attachment Styles on Life Satisfaction: A Serial Mediation Analysis

This study examined the effect of attachment styles on the life satisfaction of adults and the serial mediating effect of self-efficacy, self-love, and fear of compassion in this effect for the first time in the literature to the best of our knowledge. The study group consisted of a total of 639 adults. As a result of the study, it is seen that secure attachment affects life satisfaction positively. This process is mediated by the variables of high self-efficacy, high self-love, and low fear of compassion. However, avoidant attachment seems to negatively affect life satisfaction. This process is mediated by low self-efficacy, low self-love, and high fear of compassion variables. Apart from these results, it was observed that anxious-ambivalent attachment negatively affected life satisfaction, but this relationship was not mediated by self-efficacy, self-love, and fear of compassion. This result may be due to the fact that people with anxious-ambivalent attachment style perceive others positively despite seeing themselves as worthless and inadequate. These people may not want to show compassion for themselves because they have low self-worth, but they may show compassion for others because they find them valuable.

Work Stress, Work-Related Rumination, and Depressive Symptoms in University Teachers: Buffering Effect of Self-Compassion

Purpose

The association between work stress and depressive symptoms has been well documented. More research is still needed to further investigate the underlying explanatory process mechanism and the potential protective function of personal resource in attenuating the negative effect of work stress on mental health. To address this gap and informed by the stress process model and emotion regulation theory,the present study examined the indirect role of work-related rumination and the buffering effect of self-compassion in university teachers, a population with increased vulnerabilities for both work stress and mental health issues.

Methods

This study collected data from 727 university teachers (M _age = 37.65 ± 7.77 years, 61.5% women) through an online survey. Indirect effect analysis and moderation effect analysis were implemented using structural equation modeling via Mplus.

Results

Work stress was directly and indirectly associated with depressive symptoms through work-related rumination, and self-compassion moderated the associations between (a) work stress and depressive symptoms and (b) work-related rumination and depressive symptoms. The direct and indirect effects of work stress on depressive symptoms were weaker in university teachers with high levels of self-compassion than in those with low levels of self-compassion.

Conclusion

Work stress was associated with depressive symptoms through a cognitive pathway. The findings deepen our understanding of the link between work stress and mental health outcomes by revealing the indirect role of cognitive processes, the protective function of emotion regulation strategies, and their interplay. Reducing work-related rumination and strengthening self-compassion may constitute effective interventions to alleviate the negative effects of work stress on mental health.

Childhood Maltreatment and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Student Preschool Teachers: The Roles of Resilience and Social Support

Although some studies have explored the relationships between childhood maltreatment and life satisfaction, few studies have explored the pathways between those two variables in a sample of student preschool teachers. The current study, thus, attempts to explore the relationships between childhood maltreatment and life satisfaction in Chinese student preschool teachers and to examine the roles of resilience and social support in those relationships. A total of 1218 students majoring in early childhood education were recruited from three Chinese universities to attend this study. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect data, and structural equation modeling was used to perform data analysis. Results showed that childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with life satisfaction in Chinese student preschool teachers; resilience and social support mediated those relationships. The findings suggest that childhood maltreatment not only has a direct relationship with life satisfaction, but also has an indirect relationship with life satisfaction via resilience and social support. Childhood maltreatment should be considered when enrolling student preschool teachers, and increasing levels of resilience and social support should be meaningful approaches when cultivating student preschool teachers who have experienced childhood maltreatment.

The Association between Differentiation of Self and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Emerging Adults: The Mediating Effect of Hope and Coping Strategies and the Moderating Effect of Child Maltreatment History

Background: Differentiation of self (DoS) is a core construct in Bowen family systems theory. At the interpersonal level, it represents the capacity to maintain rational thinking rather than reacting emotionally, especially while under stress. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive association between DoS and life satisfaction. The current study aims to investigate the mediating roles of hope and coping strategies on this association, and whether the mediation mechanism was moderated by participants’ experience of child maltreatment. Methods: The current sample consisted of 447 Chinese college students recruited from three Chinese universities. DoS, life satisfaction, hope and coping strategies, as well as childhood maltreatment history, were measured via self-report. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation and moderation effect. Results: Participants who were maltreated in childhood (n = 149) exhibited significantly lower levels of DoS, hope, and positive coping strategies than the comparison group (n = 298) at baseline and lower life satisfaction at the 3-month follow-up. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that coping strategies mediated the association between DoS and life satisfaction for both the maltreated and comparison groups. Hope appeared to have a significant mediating effect only among those in the comparison group. Conclusions: The current findings lend support to Bowen’s theoretical statement regarding the role of DoS on psychological well-being, with an incorporated viewpoint of Snyder’s hope theory.

Childhood Maltreatment and Psychosocial Flourishing among Emerging Adults: Roles of Psychological Suzhi and Self-Esteem

Studies have shown that childhood maltreatment can negatively predict psychosocial flourishing among emerging adults. However, few studies have revealed the factors that can protect the psychosocial flourishing of emerging adults who experienced maltreatment during childhood. Based on theoretical and empirical considerations, this study investigated whether and how psychological suzhi (a positive quality that can facilitate individuals’ adaptation to environment) plays a protective role in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychosocial flourishing among emerging adults. A total of 2863 Chinese emerging adults (M_age = 19.96 years) completed the self-report measures of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Psychological Suzhi Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Flourishing Scale. The moderated analyses showed that childhood maltreatment had a less negative impact on psychological flourishing in high psychological suzhi emerging adults than in low psychological suzhi emerging adults. Part of the moderating effect of psychological suzhi is mediated through self-esteem. These results demonstrated that psychological suzhi plays a buffering effect between childhood maltreatment and psychosocial flourishing, and part of the effect is achieved by mediated variable self-esteem. These findings are discussed, and practical implications are presented.

Self-Compassion Buffers the Psychological Distress from Perceived Discrimination Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Emerging Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Objectives

This longitudinal study among socioeconomically disadvantaged people examined self-compassion (SC) as a protective factor in the association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, with a consideration of the specific contributions of aspects of self-compassion in its buffering effect, including compassionate self-responding (CS), reduced uncompassionate self-responding (RUS), or both (overall SC).

Methods

Data were collected from 528 socioeconomically disadvantaged Chinese university students through electronic questionnaires on perceived discrimination, self-compassion, and psychological distress (i.e., depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms) in two waves with a 1-year interval.

Results

Only CS moderated the relationships between perceived discrimination and all three indicators of psychological distress; overall, SC and RUS did not play moderating roles in these relationships.

Conclusions

CS buffered the impact of perceived discrimination on subsequent psychological distress. This suggests that the protective function of self-compassion might lie mainly in the role played by CS in psychopathological domains (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, rumination, negative affect) or in the stressor-psychological distress link.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-021-01810-6.