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Self-Compassion as a Moderator of the Association Between COVID-19 Stressors and Psychological Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2022

Shian-Ling Keng Open the ORCID record for Shian-Ling Keng [Opens in a new window]  and
Emily Zhen Ning Hwang
Shian-Ling Keng*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Monash University, Malaysia Division of Social Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore
Emily Zhen Ning Hwang
Affiliation:
Division of Social Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore
*
*Corresponding author: Shian-Ling Keng, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: keng.sl@monash.edu
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in adverse psychological outcomes for many around the globe. Less is known however regarding dispositional traits that may protect against negative psychological outcomes. This study examined the prospective association between COVID-19 stressors and psychological symptoms, and whether self-compassion (referring to a dispositional tendency of relating to oneself kindly) would moderate this association. A convenience sample of 212 university students and working adults (60.4% female; Mage = 20.92 years) based in Singapore completed measures assessing COVID-19 stressors (perceived COVID-19 health risk, economic impact, and impact on daily life), psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms), and self-compassion 2 months apart. Results indicated that perceived COVID-19 health risk at baseline predicted anxiety symptoms 2 months later, above and beyond baseline anxiety symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the association between perceived COVID-19 health risk and depressive symptoms, and the relationship between perceived impact on daily life and anxiety symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of self-compassion in alleviating psychological symptoms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

self-compassionCOVID-19depressionanxiety
Type
Shorter Communication
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , December 2022 , pp. 263 - 274
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy

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Footnotes

†

Both Shian-Ling Keng and Emily Zhen Ning Hwang contributed equally and are co-first authors on this manuscript.

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