Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in Emotion Regulation and General Self-Efficacy
Abstract
Nursing students’ clinical performance, course completion, and academic motivation are closely associated with their perceived levels of general self-efficacy. While emotion regulation skills are known to influence general self-efficacy, the mediating role of self-compassion in this relationship remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion mediates the relationship between emotional self-regulation skills and general self-efficacy in a sample of nursing students. A descriptive, correlational research design was employed. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire and Self-Compassion Scale. Among the participants, 82.69% scored above the scale mean on general self-efficacy, 25.64% on emotion regulation skills, and 66.02% on self-compassion. Significant positive correlations were found between general self-efficacy, emotion regulation skills, and self-compassion (p<0.01). Structural equation modeling indicated that self-compassion significantly mediated the relationship between emotion regulation skills and general self-efficacy (B=0.1398, BootCI [0.0921, 0.1940]). These findings underscore the critical role of self-compassion as a psychological resource that enhances the impact of emotion regulation on self-efficacy among nursing students.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Mental Health Nursing
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
April 16, 2026
Submission Date
September 4, 2025
Acceptance Date
January 15, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 35 Number: 1