From Self-Compassion to Subjective Well-Being: Examining the Mediating Effects of Self-Acceptance and Meaning in Life

Date of Award

5-1-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Lourdes Joy T. Galvez-Tan, PhD

Abstract

Despite the well-established link between self-compassion and subjective well-being, far less is understood about the mechanisms of this relationship. This study aimed to determine whether self-acceptance and meaning in life act as mediators. A convenience sample of 178 Filipino adults was used in this cross-sectional survey study. Consistent with literature, overall self-compassion was significantly associated with subjective well-being (B = 0.41, SE = 0.19, p = .03). Self-acceptance was not found to be a significant mediator (B = 0.12, SE = 0.19, 95% CI: [-.296, .425]) while meaning in life had a significant mediating effect (B = 0.50, SE = 0.12, 95% CI: [.271, .770]). When self-acceptance and meaning in life were examined using a serial mediation model, and with self-compassion deconstructed into its components, the serial mediating effect was found to be significant for common humanity (B = 0.18, SE = .09, 95% CI [.036, .397]) and mindfulness (B = 0.17, SE = .08, 95% CI [.032, .354]) but not for self-kindness (B = 0.09, SE = .07, 95% CI [-.019, .259]). The findings contribute to the understanding of how overall and components of self- compassion predict subjective well-being – through having meaning in life or being able to accept oneself which enables a sense of life meaning. Focusing on these mechanisms in practice can maximize the benefits of self-compassion on subjective well-being. The separation of self-compassion into its components also suggests the need to further study them, as these may relate differently to well-being outcomes as well as their mediators.

Keywords: self-compassion, self-acceptance, meaning in life, subjective well- being, mediation

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