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

ABSTRACT:

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.

SUBMITTER: Li Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8739681 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature