The Role of Self-Compassion in Reducing Loneliness and Psychological Distress among Young Adults

Abstract

Young adulthood is a developmental period marked by significant social, emotional, academic, and personal changes, during which individuals may experience loneliness and psychological distress that negatively affect emotional well-being and daily functioning. Self-compassion, defined as responding to oneself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance during difficulty or failure, may serve as a protective factor that helps individuals cope with stress and maintain emotional balance. The present study examined the role of self-compassion in reducing loneliness and psychological distress among young adults, investigating the relationships among these variables and whether self-compassion significantly predicted lower loneliness and psychological distress. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected from 180 young adults aged 18 to 30 years from universities and the general community in Pakistan using the Self-Compassion Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. The sample comprised 79 males (43.9%) and 101 females (56.1%), with a mean age of 22.87 years (SD = 3.45). Pearson correlation showed significant negative relationships between self-compassion and loneliness (r = −.48, p < .001) and between self-compassion and psychological distress (r = −.44, p < .001). Regression analysis showed that self-compassion significantly predicted lower loneliness (β = −.48, p < .001, R² = .230) and lower psychological distress (β = −.44, p < .001, R² = .194). These findings suggest self-compassion is an important protective factor for emotional well-being among young adults and support the value of self-compassion-based interventions, though the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation.