Negative Aspects of Self-Compassion Are Negatively Associated with Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being

Well-being is essential for everyone, particularly in the sensitive stage of adolescence. To enhance mental well-being in young adults, we must understand its associated factors. This study examines self-compassion, pro-socialness, and nature connectedness as potential factors associated with adolescents’ mental well-being. Our sample consisted of 121 participants (60 females, 58 males, and three diverse) in ninth grade, aged 14 to 16 years (M = 14.29, SD = 0.47). They completed questionnaires regarding the hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of mental well-being, self-compassion, pro-socialness, and nature connectedness. Mental well-being was positively correlated with the positive scale of self-compassion, r(121) = 0.335, p < 0.001, and negatively with the negative scale, r(121) = −0.457, p < 0.001. Results showed that only the negative self-compassion scale was negatively associated with adolescents’ mental well-being, ß = −0.401, p < 0.001. The negative scale includes self-judgment, isolation, and overidentification. This underscores the importance of these factors for the mental well-being of young men and women.