From Existential Concerns to Stress-Related Growth: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

Young adulthood is a critical developmental stage during which individuals often grapple with existential concerns (ECs), such as meaning, purpose, and mortality. These concerns may prevent psychological adjustment if left unexplored, but resources such as self-compassion (SC) can encourage adaptive growth. This study explores how ECs effect stress-related growth (SRG) via the mediating role of SC. The study group comprised 331 young adults aged 18 to 37 (Mage = 21.05, SD = 1.78). Of these, 271 (81.87%) were female and 60 (18.13%) were male. Data were collected using the Existential Concerns Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, and the Stress-Related Growth Scale. After verifying the assumptions of normality, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and Hayes' Model 4 mediation analyses were conducted using the JASP software package. The results showed that ECs were negatively associated with SC, while SC was positively linked to SRG. ECs did not directly affect SRG. However, they indirectly reduced SRG through decreased SC. Interestingly, the indirect (negative) and direct (positive) effects moved in opposite directions, indicating the opposing mediation effect. This pattern suggests that SC plays a pivotal role in buffering the adverse effects of ECs, thereby fostering SRG in young adults.