Adolescent self-compassion moderates the relationship between perceived stress and internalizing symptoms

Introduction: Self-compassion, a trait that involves responding to one's difficulties with care and concern, may offer unique stress coping benefits during the challenges of adolescence. Methods: This cross-sectional study used survey data from a large adolescent sample within two U.S. school settings (N = 1057; 65% female; 68% white; mean age 14.7 years) to examine whether self-compassion buffers the impact of perceived stress on internalizing symptoms, and secondarily, if these relationships differ by gender. Results: Regression analysis revealed self-compassion is inversely related to internalizing symptoms. Moreover, the relationship between stress and depression and anxiety symptoms differed by level of self-compassion. This moderation effect was similar between genders for depressive symptoms, but slightly greater in males compared to females for anxiety. Conclusions: These results add to our understanding of self-compassion as an adaptive emotion regulation strategy with potential benefits for youth experiencing stress. Further research is needed to confirm if moderation effects for anxiety differ by gender.