The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion Between Suicidal Ideation and Gender Role in Adolescents

The current research explored the mediating role of self-compassion between suicidal ideation and gender role in adolescents. The term “self-compassion” refers to a relatively new concept in the scientific field of positive psychology, which has demonstrated significant importance for human well-being. In this study, 814 adolescents aged 14-19 years participated. Results indicated that self-compassion levels were higher among boys compared to girls, and also that self-compassion appeared to increase with the adolescents’ age. For boys, self-compassion fully mediated the relationship between masculinity and suicidal ideation, where the direct effect was not significant, but the indirect effect was significant. For girls, self-compassion mediated the relationship between both masculinity and femininity and suicidal ideation, with significant indirect effects. These findings highlight the critical role of self-compassion as a protective factor in the context of counseling psychology, suggesting that incorporating self-compassion into preventive mental health strategies could significantly benefit adolescents facing challenges associated with gender roles and suicidal ideation.