TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of Compassion from Others and Self-compassion on Psychological Distress, Flourishing, and Meaning in Life Among University Students
AU - Chan, Kevin Ka Shing
AU - Lee, John Chi Kin
AU - Yu, Eric Kwan Wai
AU - Chan, Arita W.Y.
AU - Leung, Angel Nga Man
AU - Cheung, Rebecca Y.M.
AU - Li, Chin Wa
AU - Kong, Raymond Ho Man
AU - Chen, Junjun
AU - Wan, Sarah Lai Yin
AU - Tang, Christine Hau Yu
AU - Yum, Yen Na
AU - Jiang, Da
AU - Wang, Lixun
AU - Tse, Chun Yip
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - Objectives: Research shows that compassion from others and from the self may enable university students to face, overcome, and bounce back from adversity and generate a greater sense of thriving and meaning in life. However, the underlying processes are largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine the associations of compassion with psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life among university students and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations. Methods: A total of 536 Hong Kong university students completed questionnaires measuring their experiences of compassion from others, self-compassion, resilience, psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life. Results: Serial mediation analyses showed that compassion from others was associated positively with self-compassion, which was, in turn, linked to greater resilience and consequently lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of flourishing and meaning in life. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the associations of compassion from others and self-compassion with the well-being and life meaning of university students. The findings highlight the importance of being open and receptive to love and kindness from others. The findings also point to the importance of developing a caring attitude toward oneself.
AB - Objectives: Research shows that compassion from others and from the self may enable university students to face, overcome, and bounce back from adversity and generate a greater sense of thriving and meaning in life. However, the underlying processes are largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine the associations of compassion with psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life among university students and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations. Methods: A total of 536 Hong Kong university students completed questionnaires measuring their experiences of compassion from others, self-compassion, resilience, psychological distress, flourishing, and meaning in life. Results: Serial mediation analyses showed that compassion from others was associated positively with self-compassion, which was, in turn, linked to greater resilience and consequently lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of flourishing and meaning in life. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the associations of compassion from others and self-compassion with the well-being and life meaning of university students. The findings highlight the importance of being open and receptive to love and kindness from others. The findings also point to the importance of developing a caring attitude toward oneself.
KW - Compassion from others
KW - Flourishing
KW - Meaning in life
KW - Psychological distress
KW - Resilience
KW - Self-compassion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129013202&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12671-022-01891-x
DO - 10.1007/s12671-022-01891-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85129013202
SN - 1868-8527
VL - 13
SP - 1490
EP - 1498
JO - Mindfulness
JF - Mindfulness
IS - 6
ER -