Examining the predictive role of self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties on guilt feelings among individuals who experienced loss in the february 6 earthquake

This study aims to examine the predictive roles of self-compassion and difficulties in emotion regulation on feelings of guilt among individuals who has experienced loss. A correlational research design was employed and the sample consisted of 450 adults (311 women, 139 men) who experienced loss during the earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye on February 6, 2023. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Bereavement Guilt Scale – Turkish Form, Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – Short Form. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 and AMOS 24 software packages. The results indicated that difficulties in emotion regulation significantly predicted bereavement and guilt. Furthermore, self-compassion and emotion regulation difficulties showed significant differences based on gender; male participants reported significantly higher levels of self-compassion, whereas female participants reported significantly higher levels of difficulties in emotion regulation. Individuals without multiple loss experiences reported significantly higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties compared to those with multiple losses. Participants who experienced the loss of a close family member had significantly higher levels of bereavement and guilt than those who lost a relative or someone less emotionally close. A significant negative correlation was found between total bereavement and guilt scores and self-compassion scores while a significant positive correlation was observed between bereavement and guilt scores and difficulties in emotion regulation. The findings were discussed in the context of existing literature and recommendations were provided for future research and applications.