Exploring the Predictors of Distress Disclosure: Self-Compassion and Emotional Regulation in Indian College Students

Self-disclosure plays a crucial role in psychological well-being; however, predictors of distress disclosure are less explored, especially in non-Western contexts such as India. This study examined the relationship among self-compassion, emotional regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and distress disclosure among Indian college students, as well as differences between psychology and non-psychology majors. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used with 329 Indian college students aged 18 to 25, recruited through convenience sampling. The Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S), and the Distress Disclosure Index (DDI) were administered, and data was analyzed through Pearson's correlations, Independent-sample t-tests, and linear regression. Our analyses found that expressive suppression was negatively associated with distress disclosure. Self-compassion was moderately associated with cognitive reappraisal but was significantly associated with distress disclosure only among female participants. Regression analyses indicated that emotion regulation significantly predicted distress disclosure, whereas self-compassion did not emerge as a significant predictor. No significant differences were found between psychology and nonpsychology students. The findings highlight the importance of adaptive emotion regulation strategies in increasing disclosure behaviors in young adults.