Self-Compassion’s Protective Role on Well-Being During the Transition to Post-Secondary

Abstract

More individuals than ever before are enrolling in post-secondary to further their education. Unfortunately, many post-secondary students report elevated stress levels and decreased well-being due to the sudden increase in demands in a variety of life domains (e.g., academic, financial, and social). Both self-compassion and self-efficacy are suggested buffers against stressful academic situations; however, their potential protective role within the transition to post-secondary remains relatively unexplored. Additionally, self-compassion and self-efficacy hold similar associations with adaptive self-regulated learning processes and may work together to further bolster student well-being. This study surveyed 332 first year undergraduate students with the goal of assessing the relation between self-compassion, self-efficacy, and well-being. A regression analysis found that high ratings of self-compassion and self-efficacy predicted lower levels of perceived stress. Gender differences were present within total self-compassion scores as well as within one of its subscales (i.e., overidentification); however, gender was not found to moderate self- compassion’s relation to well-being. The results suggest that self-compassion and the belief in one’s abilities help to buffer the stress experienced in the first year of post-secondary. Students could be better prepared for the transition to post-secondary by learning adaptive strategies for managing stressful situations and increasing their confidence in their own abilities.