Self-Compassion As A Mediator of The Relationship Between Psychological Inflexibility and Resilience

Self-Compassion As A Mediator of The Relationship Between Psychological Inflexibility and Resilience

Acceptance and commitment therapy helps individuals to develop psychological flexibility, which is the ability to accept and adapt to difficult thoughts and feelings without allowing them to control their behavior. Psychological flexibility is associated with important constructs, one of which is resilience, which expresses individuals’ positive attitude against the difficulties they encounter in life. In this study, the mechanism of the relationship between psychological inflexibility and resilience was examined in more detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and resilience. This cross-sectional study used data collected via self-reported measurement tools from 285 participants (61 males and 224 females) who were university students. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ- II), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and a demographic information form were used for data collection. Results showed that psychological inflexibility negatively predicted self- compassion and resilience, and self-compassion positively predicted resilience. Based on the mediation analysis results, it was found that self-compassion partially mediated the effect of psychological inflexibility on resilience.

___

  • Aghayousefi, A., Tarkhan, M., Mohammadi, N., & Afshar, H. (2017). The role of psychological inflexibility and pain acceptance in predicting resiliency in chronic pain patients. Quarterly Journal of Health Psychology, 5(17), 23–38.
  • Barnard, L. K., & Curry, J. F. (2011). Self-compassion: Conceptualizations, correlates, & interventions. Review of General Psychology, 15(4), 289 –303. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025754
  • Bluth, K., & Eisenlohr-Moul, T. A. (2017). Response to a mindful self-compassion intervention in teens: A within-person association of mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotional well-being outcomes. Journal of Adolescence, 57, 108 –118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.04.001
  • Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. C., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H.K., Waltz, T., & Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the acceptance and action questionnaire-ii: A revised measure of psychological flexibility and acceptance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007
  • Boykin, D. M., Himmerich, S. J., Pinciotti, C. M., Miller, L. M., Miron, L. R., & Orcutt, H. K. (2018). Barriers to self-compassion for female survivors of childhood maltreatment: The roles of fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 216-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.11.003
  • Calvo, V., D’Aquila, C., Rocco, D., & Carraro, E. (2022). Attachment and well-being: Mediatory roles of mindfulness, psychological inflexibility, and resilience. Current Psychology, 41, 2966– 2979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00820-2
  • Carreno, D. F., Eisenbeck, N., Greville, J., & Wong, P. T. (2023). Cross-cultural psychometric analysis of the mature happiness scale-revised: Mature happiness, psychological inflexibility, and the PERMA model. Journal of Happiness Studies, 24(3), 1075–1099. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10902-023-00633-7
  • Crabtree, M. A., Hale, W. J., Meyer, E. C., Kimbrel, N. A., DeBeer, B. B., Gulliver, S. B., & Morissette, S. B.(2021). Dynamics of risk: Recent changes in psychological inflexibility precede subsequent changes in returning US veterans’ posttraumatic stress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 77(11), 2507–2528 https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23244
  • Crego, A., Yela, J. R., Ozores-Pérez, R., Riesco-Matías, P., & Gómez-Martínez, M. Á. (2022). Eudaimonicanduncertainty metaphors about life are associated with meaningfulness, experiential avoidance, mental health, and happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(8), 4119–4146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00594-3
  • Deniz, M. E., Kesici, Ş., & Sümer, A. S. (2008). The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the self-compassion scale. Social Behavior and Personality, 36(9), 1151–1160. https://doi. org/10.2224/sbp.2008.36.9.1151
  • Doğan, T. (2015). Kısa psikolojik sağlamlık ölçeğinin Türkçe uyarlaması: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 3(1), 93–102.
  • Egan, S. J., Rees, C. S., Delalande, J., Greene, D., Fitzallen, G., Brown, S., ... & Finlay-Jones, A. (2022). A review of self-compassion as an active ingredient in the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression in young people. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 49, 385–403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-021-01170-2
  • Estrellado, J. E., Felipe, L. C. S., & Celestial, J. E. (2022). Colonial mentality and psychological flexibility among Filipinx Americans. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 13(1), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000257
  • Farr, J., Ononaiye, M., & Irons, C. (2021). Early shaming experiences and psychological distress: The role of experiential avoidance and self‒compassion. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 94(4), 952–972. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12353
  • Gentili, C., Rickardsson, J., Zetterqvist, V., Simons, L. E., Lekander, M., & Wicksell, R. K. (2019). Psychological flexibility as a resilience factor in individuals with chronic pain. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1–11 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02016
  • Germer, C. (2009). The mindful path to self-compassion: Freeing yourself from destructive thoughts and emotions. The Guilford Press.
  • Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion-focused therapy. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 15(3), 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.bp.107.005264
  • Gilbert, P. (2017). Compassion: Definitions and controversies. In P. Gilbert (Ed.), Compassion: Concepts, research and applications (pp. 3–15). Routledge
  • Gloster, A. T., Walder, N., Levin, M. E., Twohig, M. P., & Karekla, M. (2020). The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.09.009
  • Goubert, L., & Trompetter, H. (2017). Towards a science and practice of resilience in the face of pain. European Journal of Pain, 21, 1301–1315. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.1062
  • Greco, L. A., Lambert, W., & Baer, R. A. (2008). Psychological inflexibility in childhood and adolescence: Development and evaluation of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth. Psychological Assessment, 20(2), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.20.2.93
  • Harvey, J., & Boynton, K. (2021). Self-disclosure and psychological resilience: The mediating roles of self-esteem and self-compassion. Interpersonal: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 15(1), 90–104. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.4533
  • Hatun, O., & Kurtça, T. T. (2022). Self-compassion, resilience, fear of COVID-19, psychological distress, and psychological well-being among Turkish adults. Current Psychology, 1–11. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02824-6
  • Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. The Guilford Press
  • Hayes, A. F., & Rockwood, N. J. (2017). Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation analysis in clinical research: Observations, recommendations, and implementation. Behavior Research and Therapy, 98, 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.11.001
  • Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639-665. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80013-3
  • Hayes, S. C., & Strosahl, K. D. (2004). A practical guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Springer
  • Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152–1168. https://doi. org/10.1037/0022-006X.64.6.1152
  • Jankowski, P. J., Murphy, S., Johnson, J., Sandage, S. J., Wang, D. C., & Tomlinson, J. (2022). The influence of experiential avoidance, humility, and patience on the association between religious/ spiritual exploration and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(5), 2137–2156. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00488-w
  • Karekla, M., & Panayiotou, G. (2011). Coping and experiential avoidance: Unique or overlapping constructs? Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42(2), 163–170. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2010.10.002
  • Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford publications.
  • Köhle, N., Drossaert, C. H., Ten Klooster, P. M., Schreurs, K. M., Hagedoorn, M., Uden-Kraan, V., ... & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2021). Web-based self-help intervention for partners of cancer patients based on acceptance and commitment therapy and self-compassion training: a randomized controlled trial with automated versus personal feedback. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(9), 5115–5125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06051-w
  • Laird, K. T., Krause, B., Funes, C., & Lavretsky, H. (2019). Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life. Translational Psychiatry, 9(88), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41398-019-0424-7
  • Levin, M. E., MacLane, C., Daflos, S., Seeley, J. R., Hayes, S. C., Biglan, A., & Pistorello, J. (2014). Examining psychological inflexibility as a transdiagnostic process across psychological disorders. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 3(3), 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jcbs.2014.06.003.
  • Li, A., Wang, S., Cai, M., Sun, R., & Liu, X. (2021). Self-compassion and life-satisfaction among Chinese self-quarantined residents during COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation model of positive coping and gender. Personality and Individual Differences, 170, 110457. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110457
  • MacBeth, A., & Gumley, A. (2012). Exploring compassion: A meta-analysis of the association between self-compassion and psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(6), 545-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.003
  • Machell, K. A., Goodman, F. R., & Kashdan, T. B. (2015). Experiential avoidance and well-being: A daily diary analysis. Cognition and Emotion, 29(2), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699 931.2014.911143
  • Marshall, E. J., & Brockman, R. N. (2016). The relationships between psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and emotional well-being. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 30(1), 60- 72. https://doi.org/10.1891/0889-8391.30.1.60
  • Masuda, A., & Tully, E. C. (2012). The role of mindfulness and psychological flexibility in somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress in a nonclinical college sample. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 17(1), 66–71. https://doi.org/:10.1177/2156587211423400
  • Miron, L. R., Sherrill, A. M., & Orcutt, H. K. (2015). Fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility interact to predict PTSD symptom severity. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 4(1), 37-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2014.10.003
  • Mosewich, A. D. (2020). Self‒compassion in sport and exercise. In G. & Tenenbaum, R. C. Eklund (Eds), Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 158–176), John Wiley & Sons, Inc. https://doi. org/10.1002/9781119568124.ch8
  • Neff, K. (2003a). Self-Compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032
  • Neff, K. D. (2003b). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027
  • Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion, self-esteem, and well-being. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 1–12.
  • Neff, K. D., & McGehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9(3), 225–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860902979307
  • Neff, K. D., & Seppala, E. (2016). Compassion, well-being, and the hypo-egoic self. In K. W. Brown & M. Leary (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of hypo-egoic phenomena (pp. 189–203). Oxford University Press.
  • Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self‒compassion versus global self‒esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77(1), 23-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x
  • Neff, K. D., Kirkpatrick, K. L., & Rude, S. S. (2007). Self-compassion and adaptive psychological functioning. Journal of Research in Personality, 41(1), 139–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jrp.2006.03.004
  • Pietrzak, R. H., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., Rivers, A. J., Morgan, C. A., & Southwick, S. M. (2010). Psychosocial buffers of traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial difficulties in veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: The role of resilience, unit support, and postdeployment social support. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120, 188–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.015
  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879
  • Pyszkowska, A., Rożnawski, K., & Farny, Z. (2021). Self-stigma and cognitive fusion in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. The moderating role of self-compassion. PeerJ, 9, e12591. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12591
  • Seçer, İ., Ulaş, S., & Karaman-Özlü, Z. (2020). The effect of the fear of COVID-19 on healthcare professionals’ psychological adjustment skills: Mediating role of experiential avoidance and psychological resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 561536. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2020.561536
  • Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7(4), 422–445. https://doi. org/10.1037/1082-989X.7.4.422
  • Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Jennifer Bernard, J. (2008). The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15, 194–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705500802222972
  • Smith, J. L. (2015). Self-compassion and resilience in senior living residents. Seniors Housing and Care Journal, 23(1), 17–31.
  • Southwick, S. M., Vythilingam, M., & Charney, D. S., (2005). The psychobiology of depression and resilience to stress: Implications for prevention and treatment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 255–291. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.143948
  • Sturgeon, J. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2013). Psychological resilience, pain catastrophizing, and positive emotions: Perspectives on comprehensive modeling of individual pain adaptation. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 17, 317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-012-0317-4
  • Thompson, E. M., Destree, L., Albertella, L., & Fontenelle, L. F. (2021). Internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic systematic review and meta-analysis for mental health outcomes. Behavior Therapy, 52(2), 492–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2020.07.002
  • Tran, M. A. Q., Vo-Thanh, T., Soliman, M., Khoury, B., & Chau, N. N. T. (2022). Self-compassion, mindfulness, stress, and self-esteem among Vietnamese university students: Psychological well-being and positive emotion as mediators. Mindfulness, 13(10), 2574–2586. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12671-022-01980-x
  • Umucu, E., Ghosh, A., Castruita Rios, Y., Yasuoka, M., Choi, H., Urkmez, B., Lee, G., & Lee, B. (2022). The impact of army resilience training on the self-stigma of seeking help in student veterans with and without disabilities. Stigma and Health, 7(4), 404–413. https://doi. org/10.1037/sah0000403
  • Viskovich, S., & Pakenham, K. I. (2020). Randomized controlled trial of a web‒based acceptance and commitment therapy program to promote mental health in university students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76(6), 929–951 https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22848.
  • Wilson, A. C., Mackintosh, K., Power, K., & Chan, S. W. (2019). Effectiveness of self-compassion related therapies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 10, 979–995. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12671-018-1037-6
  • Wilson, K. G., & Hayes, S. C. (1996). Resurgence of derived stimulus relations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 66, 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1996.66-267
  • Wollast, R., Riemer, A. R., Bernard, P., Leys, C., Kotsou, I., & Klein, O. (2019). How self‒compassion moderates the effect of body surveillance on subjective happiness and depression among women. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 60(5), 464–472. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12553
  • Yavuz, F., Ulusoy, S., Iskin, M., Esen, F. B., Burhan, H. S., Karadere, M. E. ve Yavuz, N. (2016). Turkish version of acceptance and action questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): A reliability and validity analysis in clinical and non-clinical samples. Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 26(4), 397-408. https://doi.org/10.5455/bcp.20160223124107
  • Zessin, U., Dickhäuser, O., & Garbade, S. (2015). The relationship between self‒compassion and well-being: A meta‒analysis. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 7(3), 340–364. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12051.
  • Zhang, C. Q., Leeming, E., Smith, P., Chung, P. K., Hagger, M. S., & Hayes, S. C. (2018). Acceptance and commitment therapy for health behavior change: A contextually-driven approach. Frontiers in Psychology (8)2350, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02350