Adolescent self-compassion moderates the relationship between perceived stress and internalizing symptoms

Introduction: Self-compassion, a trait that involves responding to one's difficulties with care and concern, may offer unique stress coping benefits during the challenges of adolescence. Methods: This cross-sectional study used survey data from a large adolescent sample within two U.S. school settings (N = 1057; 65% female; 68% white; mean age 14.7 years) to examine whether self-compassion buffers the impact of perceived stress on internalizing symptoms, and secondarily, if these relationships differ by gender. Results: Regression analysis revealed self-compassion is inversely related to internalizing symptoms. Moreover, the relationship between stress and depression and anxiety symptoms differed by level of self-compassion. This moderation effect was similar between genders for depressive symptoms, but slightly greater in males compared to females for anxiety. Conclusions: These results add to our understanding of self-compassion as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy with potential benefits for youth experiencing stress. Further research is needed to confirm if moderation effects for anxiety differ by gender.

Duke Scholars

Author Jinyoung Park