An investigation of the relationships between self-compassion, self-consciousness, depression, anxiety and stress with structural equation modeling

Self-compassion has threecomponents which mutually influence and engender each other: selfkindness, awareness of common humanity, and mindfulness. An individual high in selfcompassion is able to view the self with gentleness and kindness even in the face of failure and pain; sees that all human beings fail and experience pain; and is able to experience feelings and emotions without either pushing them away or becoming completely overwhelmed by them. Self-consciousness, taken as being the tendency to direct attention toward aspects of the self, has been linked with very different areas of psychological functioning. More recent studies have found links between the self-consciousness factors and the basic dimensions of personality. It can be thought that selfcompassion may be related to self-consciousness, depression, anxiety, and stress. The major aim of this research is to investigate the relationships between university students? self-compassion, self-consciousness, depression, anxiety, and stress level. Gender differences were also examined. 668 undergraduate students from different departments of the University of Sakarya took part in this study. Of the participants, 323 were female; 345 were male. The Self-compassion Scale (Öveç, Abacı, & Akın, 2007), The Self-consciousness Scale, The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (Çetin, Abacı, & Akın, 2006) and personal information sheet were used in this study as measurement instrument. To predict self-consciousness, depression, anxiety, and stress from selfcompassion two path models were used. Also these relationship were examined using correlation. Gender differences in self-compassion and self-consciousness were examined by using t test. The overall results of this research supported the assumptions of this study. Results demonstrated that two path models demonstrated good fit. According to these results self-compassion predicted to self-consciousness, depression, anxiety, and stress significantly. In correlation analysis, while the self-kindness, awareness of common humanity and mindfulness dimensions of selfcompassion were found correlated negatively to self-reflectiveness, style consciousness and social anxiety dimensions of self-consciousness, the self-judgment, isolation and over-identification dimensions of self-compassion were found correlated positively to internal state awareness and appearance consciousness dimensions of self-consciousness. Further the self-kindness, awareness of common humanity and mindfulness dimensions of self-compassion were found correlated negatively to depression, anxiety, and stress whereas the self-judgment, isolation and overidentification dimensions of self-compassion were found correlated negatively to them. Lastly gender differences in self-compassion and self-consciousness were significant. Findings were discussed in terms of assumptions. Key Words: Self-compassion, Self-consciousness, Depression, Anxiety, Stress