The Role of Self-Compassion and Attributions in the Mental Health of Older Adolescents amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship among self-compassion, attributional styles, and mental health and their components in older adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The role of each component of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification) and attributions (globality, stability, self-worth, and negative consequences) in predicting mental health was also analyzed. There were 322 participants aged 18 to 22 that participated in an online survey. The participants filled out a form that consisted of sociodemographic questions, COVID-19-related questions, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Mental Health Continuum—short form—and the Cognitive Styles Questionnaire—very short form. The results indicated moderate levels of self-compassion, attributions, and mental health in participants. Furthermore, gender differences in self-compassion were confirmed, meaning that male participants had higher total levels of self-compassion, and certain differences were observed on attribution subscales, but not on well-being subscales. Self-compassion and mental health were found to be positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with negative attributions. Of the four attributional components, stability and negative consequences were revealed to be significant negative predictors in the first step but lost their significance with the inclusion of self-compassion components in the second step of the analysis. Regarding the six components of self-compassion, self-kindness, recoded isolation, and common humanity were significant positive predictors in the second step of the analysis. COVID-19-related items did not show any significant intergroup differences. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between positive mental health, self-compassion, and attributions in older adolescents so that they can be used as theoretical support for related interventions, especially during and after times of crisis, such as a pandemic.