CONTRIBUTION OF SELF-COMPASSIONi TO COMPETENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

This study examined the potenfial contribufion of self-compassion to perceived competence and mental health in master's of social work students (N=65). It was hypothesized that the components of self-compassion (i.e., mindfulness, common humanity, self-kindness, overidentification, isolation, and selfjudgment) would impact perceived competence (sense of coherence), which in turn would mediate mental health (depressive symptom level). Students completed the Self-Compassion Scale, the Sense of Coherence Quesfionnaire, and the California Psychological Inventory-Depression Scale. Results showed that overidenfificafion directly and indirectly (as mediated by decreased coherence) affected depressive symptom level. Implicafions for social work educafion are discussed.