The mediating role of psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility in the relationship between fear of self and rumination

This study investigates the correlation between adults' fear of self and rumination, exploring whether psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility mediate this relationship. The study included 1,073 participants (54.6% female, 45.4% male) aged 18-65. Data was collected using the "Personal Information Form," "Fear of Self Scale - Short Form," "Ruminative Thinking Style Scale," "Psychological Flexibility Scale," and "Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II." SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS Macro 4 were employed for analysis, including Pearson's correlation, ordinary least squares regression, and Bootstrap mediation. Results revealed a moderate, positive correlation between fear of self, ruminative thinking, and psychological inflexibility. A moderate, negative correlation existed between fear of self, rumination, and psychological inflexibility with psychological flexibility. Mediation analysis indicated a significant total effect of fear of self on rumination. Direct effects of fear of self on psychological flexibility and inflexibility were significant, as were the direct effects of flexibility and inflexibility on rumination. Including psychological flexibility and inflexibility in the model weakened the relationship between fear of self and rumination, highlighting their mediating roles. The total indirect effect of fear of self on rumination through psychological flexibility and inflexibility was significant. Both flexibility and inflexibility significantly mediated the indirect effects of fear of self on rumination. Notably, psychological inflexibility exhibited a stronger impact on the relationship between fear of self and rumination. The study's findings were discussed in relation to existing literature, and suggestions for future research were provided.