Emerging Adult Life Satisfaction and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Social Support

Emerging adulthood (EA) is a time of possibilities, self-exploration, and personal growth. However, EA college students experience a high prevalence of mental illness and low engagement in mental health treatment. It is vital to find sustainable ways to increase life satisfaction despite mental distress. This study examined the mediating effects of social support and self-compassion on mental distress and life satisfaction among 200 EA college students. The parallel mediation revealed that self-compassion and social support significantly reduced the negative impact of mental distress on life satisfaction. A follow-up regression identified the self-compassion subscales common humanity (beta = .17, p<. 01), and reversed scored self-judgement (beta = .13, p<. 05), along with social support from friends (beta = .17, p<. 01), and family (beta = .32, p<. 01), as predictors of life satisfaction. For EA students experiencing anxiety, depression, and loneliness, self-kindness and accepting that life struggles are a common human experience, coupled with support from family and friends, can improve mental health and life satisfaction.