The Relationship between Self-Compassion, Life Skills, and Resilience in University Students: Predictive Role and Group Differences

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

• Samaneh Shahi Senobari

PhD student in Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22067/tpccp.2025.93154.1781

Abstract

Introduction
University students are at a critical stage of personal, social, and academic development and frequently face challenges such as academic pressures, financial difficulties, complex interpersonal relationships, and identity crises that can affect their mental health (Beiter et al., 2015; Ibrahim et al., 2013). The inability to effectively cope with these challenges is frequently attributable to a deficiency in resilience and the presence of inadequate life skills. Life skills are defined as a set of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capabilities that facilitate effective coping with the challenges of daily life (Botvin & Griffin, 2004; Organization, 1997). Resilience, defined as the capacity to regain psychological equilibrium following periods of stress and adversity, is widely recognized as a pivotal factor in preserving mental well-being (Connor & Davidson, 2003). Concurrently, the concept of self-compassion has emerged as a novel and positive construct within the domain of psychology. This construct encompasses three components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. It has been demonstrated to play an effective role in the regulation of emotions, the reduction of self-criticism, and the promotion of well-being (Neff, 2003). The primary objective of this research is to examine how varying degrees of self-compassion influence students' life skills and resilience. A paucity of research has been conducted on the relationship between self-compassion and resilience, as well as various life skills. However, there is a dearth of research that has comprehensively compared life skills and resilience among students with different levels of self-compassion. An accurate understanding of these relationships can facilitate the development of intervention programs aimed at enhancing self-compassion, promoting resilience, and fortifying the life skills of students. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between these three components and to compare life skills and resilience among students with different levels of self-compassion.
 
Method
This is a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of this research includes undergraduate students at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The research sample consisted of 117 students who were selected through convenience sampling. Standardized and valid questionnaires were utilized to assess the research variables, the content validity of which has been substantiated in prior studies. The following instruments were utilized: the Life Skills Questionnaire (Saatchi, 2010), the Connor & Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003), and the Self-Compassion Scale short form (Raes et al., 2011). The reliability of the instruments utilized in this study was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.83 to 0.94. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Box-Cox transformation (for resilience normalization), Levene test for equality of variances, ANOVA, Tukey's test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Participants were divided into three groups: low, medium, and high, based on percentile self-compassion scores.
 
Findings
Among the 117 participants, 18.8% identified as male and 81.2% identified as female. The mean age of the subjects was 19.63 years. The distribution of life skills and self-compassion scores was found to be normal; however, the distribution of resilience scores was found to be corrected by transformation. The Levene test was employed to verify the homogeneity of variances across both variables. ANOVA revealed a statistically significant discrepancy between the three self-compassion groups in terms of life skills (F=24.111, P<0.001) and resilience (F=40.28, P<0.001). The high self-compassion group demonstrated significantly higher scores in comparison to the other groups. Pearson correlation analysis further demonstrated a positive and significant relationship between self-compassion and life skills (r=0.65, P<0.05) and resilience (r=0.74, P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that self-compassion significantly predicted life skills (R²=0.42, P<0.001) and resilience (R²=0.55, P<0.001). The regression model was found to meet the assumptions of independence of errors, normality of residuals, and linearity.
 
Conclusion
The present study sought to examine the correlation between self-compassion and life skills, as well as resilience. The findings of this study demonstrate that self-compassion, as a psychological construct, plays a significant role in promoting students' mental health. The initial finding of the study indicated a substantial discrepancy in the resilience and life skills scores among different levels of self-compassion (low, medium, and high) among the student population. Consequently, students demonstrating a higher level of self-compassion exhibited significantly more resilience and life skills compared to those with a low level of self-compassion. This finding aligns with the theoretical model of self-compassion developed by Christian Neff (Neff, 2003), which posits that self-compassion is a pivotal factor in fostering mental health and psychological well-being. This finding can be explained by the notion that students with high self-compassion are more inclined to be kind to themselves. Rather than engaging in harsh self-criticism, these students may adopt a more balanced approach, characterized by mutual acceptance and understanding of their failures and difficulties. This positive attitude fosters enhanced emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, and adaptability to challenges, which are critical life skills. Additionally, it facilitates a swift return to equilibrium following setbacks, a process often referred to as resilience. In light of this finding, it is recommended that educational programs and psychological workshops be developed and implemented in universities with the objective of teaching and strengthening self-compassion for students. The study's second finding indicated that self-compassion is a substantial predictor of life skills and resilience variables. The correlation coefficients for both life skills and resilience were found to be statistically significant. These results suggest a positive correlation between self-compassion levels and the development of life skills and resilience. Furthermore, the findings indicate that self-compassion can account for a substantial portion of the variance in these variables. This finding also corroborates the initial finding and aligns with extant research literature in this field, which demonstrates that self-compassion serves as a significant predictor of positive psychological adjustment. Consequently, the strategic design and implementation of counseling interventions grounded in the cultivation of self-compassion holds considerable potential in addressing adjustment challenges and academic stress experienced by students, thereby enhancing their life skills and fostering increased resilience.

Keywords

• Self-compassion
• Life skills
• Resilience
• University students

Main Subjects

• Clinical psychology

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