Shame, Self-Compassion, and Self-Esteem as Correlates of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms:The Role of Emotion Regulation

Background: Shame, self-esteem, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies have been consistently linked to anxiety and depressive symptoms. Shame and low self-esteem are considered risk factors, whereas self-compassion and adaptive strategies act as protective factors. This study examined the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between shame and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 201 ethnic Hungarian participants from Romania. Standardized measures were administered to assess shame, self-compassion, self-esteem, stress, cognitive emotion regulation, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analyses were performed to test the hypothesized indirect effects. Results: Shame significantly predicted lower levels of self-compassion, which in turn mediated the relationship between shame and depressive symptoms. No mediation was found for anxiety symptoms. Stress emerged as a strong predictor of both depression and anxiety, while self-esteem predicted depressive symptoms only. Maladaptive regulation strategies increased the explanatory power of the models, whereas self-blame was not a significant predictor. Conclusions: The findings suggest that self-compassion may be associated with a reduced relationship between shame and depressive symptoms. Strengthening self-compassion and self-esteem, while reducing maladaptive regulation strategies and improving stress management, may inform targeted clinical interventions.