The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Mindfulness in Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological and Physical Health

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion and mindfulness in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological and physical health. This paper is applied in terms of purpose and is correlational in terms of method. Two hundred forty-nine senior undergraduate students were selected via convenience sampling and filled in The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen et al, 1997), The Anxiety and Depression scale (CCAS, Costello, & Comrey, 1967), The Physical Symptom Checklist of Bartone (1989), The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ, Baer et al, 2006), and the Self-compassion Scale (Neff, 2003). The data were analyzed by path analysis model and Amos software. Results showed that perceived stress predicted self-compassion and mindfulness negatively and both of them predicted physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression negatively (p<0.01).  Besides, two separate models indicated that self-compassion and mindfulness have a mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress, physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression (p<0.01).  However, Entering these two mediating variables into the path analysis model indicated that self-compassion keeps its mediator variable role in all the three criterion variables, while mindfulness only has a mediator variable role in anxiety. It can be concluded that in order to reduce the effect of perceived stress on students' mental and physical health, we can focus on strengthening self-compassion.