The Relationship Between Object Relations and the Severity of Depression Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

Objectives The current research investigated the mediating role of self-compassion in the connection between object relations and the severity of depression symptoms. Methods This was a descriptive and correlational study. The study sample consisted of 245 male and female students residing in the dormitories of Iran University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2017-18. They were selected based on the two-step cluster sampling method. The subjects answered the Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI), Self Compassion Scale- Long Form (SCS –LF) and Beck’s Depression Inventory-Short form (BDI-S). The gathered data were analyzed in LISREL, SPSS, and Mplus.  Results The structural equation analysis results suggested that self-compassion plays a mediating role in the connection between object relations and the severity of depression symptoms.  Conclusion The study findings revealed that the connection between object relations and the severity of depression symptoms is partly explained by a reduction in self-compassion. These findings help therapists to have a more correct understanding of the etiology of depression.