The Relationship Between Psychological Flexibility, Mindful Ability and Self-Compassion with the Severity of Depression in Patients with Mood Disorders

Objectives: Considering the prevalence and importance of depression, it is necessary to study the new psychological variables involved in its formation, persistence and recurrence. So this study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological flexibility (PF), mindful ability (MA) and self-compassion with the severity of depression in patients with mood disorders. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during October to January 2018. A total of 80 patients with various mood disorders by purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected from the psychiatric wards of Hospital. They completed the Self-Compassion Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory – Short form, Beck Depression Inventory-II. Data were analyzed using SPSS-24 software and Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results: The correlation coefficient (CC) between PF and depression was -0.79, CC between self-compassion and depression was -0.91 and CC between MA and depression was -0.87 which indicates a strong inverse relationship between depression score and these variables. Stepwise regression analysis showed that gender and MA were the best predictors of depression respectively (P <0.05). Discussion: based on the study there were significant relationship between low self-compassion, PF and MA and depression in patients with mood disorders.