TY  - JOUR
T1  - From Existential Concerns to Stress-Related Growth: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion
AU  - Yazıcı-kabadayı, Sema
PY  - 2025
DA  - October
Y2  - 2025
DO  - 10.37898/spiritualpc.1697052
JF  - Spiritual Psychology and Counseling
PB  - Halil EKŞİ
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 2458-9675
SP  - 421
EP  - 442
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
LA  - en
AB  - Young adulthood is a critical developmental stage during which individuals often grapple with existential concerns (ECs), such as meaning, purpose, and mortality. These concerns may prevent psychological adjustment if left unexplored, but resources such as self-compassion (SC) can encourage adaptive growth. This study explores how ECs effect stress-related growth (SRG) via the mediating role of SC. The study group comprised 331 young adults aged 18 to 37 (Mage = 21.05, SD = 1.78). Of these, 271 (81.87%) were female and 60 (18.13%) were male. Data were collected using the Existential Concerns Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, and the Stress-Related Growth Scale. After verifying the assumptions of normality, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and Hayes' Model 4 mediation analyses were conducted using the JASP software package. The results showed that ECs were negatively associated with SC, while SC was positively linked to SRG. ECs did not directly affect SRG. However, they indirectly reduced SRG through decreased SC. Interestingly, the indirect (negative) and direct (positive) effects moved in opposite directions, indicating the opposing mediation effect. This pattern suggests that SC plays a pivotal role in buffering the adverse effects of ECs, thereby fostering SRG in young adults.
KW  - existential concerns
KW  - self-compassion
KW  - stress-related growth
KW  - young adulthood
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.37898/spiritualpc.1697052
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4859902
ER  -