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.