The role of self-compassion in higher education - The relationship between self-compassion, stress, and distractedness in college students (10 min)

Self-compassion has been intensively researched over the last two decades. The mentioned psychological construct can be defined as an attitude towards self that involves treating oneself with understanding and warmth in difficult times and recognizing that making mistakes is part of being human. The role of self-compassion in protecting and promoting mental health is empirically well documented. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between experiencing self-compassion and feeling tired and distracted in everyday life. The pilot study was conducted using the smartphone-based diary method, which allowed real-time measurement of affect under real-life conditions. In this study, the responses of 32 college students were collected over 10 days during February and March of 2022. The obtained results revealed that self-compassion is negatively related to both feelings of stress and distractedness. Students who report lower levels of self-compassion report being more stressed and distracted and vice versa. The findings suggest that self-compassion could provide students with tools that protect their mental health on a daily basis and resources that will ensure that they are not distracted from completing their college coursework. Also, it might also be that daily external demands change the capacity for contact with oneself. Possibilities for promoting self-compassion in the higher education system will be discussed, with a particular emphasis on digital interventions designed intentionally to foster self-compassion.

Hana Gačal
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb
Croatia

Hana Gačal is a PhD student at the postgraduate doctoral study of Prevention Science at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Zagreb and is currently employed on the project Testing the 5C framework of positive youth development: traditional and digital mobile assessment. After she received her Master’s degree in Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Rijeka, she has worked as a teaching assistant in the field of biological psychology, as well as methodology and statistics at the Department of Psychology. She was also an external associate on the project PROMEHS – Promoting Mental Health at Schools, which is aimed at increasing socio-emotional well-being and resilience and preventing internalized and externalized behavioral problems in children and adolescents. Her former scientific interest was focused on personality traits, emotions, and mental health.

Lucija Šutić
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb
Croatia

Lucija Šutić is a PhD student at the postgraduate doctoral study of Prevention Science at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Zagreb and is currently employed on the project Testing the 5C framework of positive youth development: traditional and digital mobile assessment. After she received her Master’s degree in Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, she has worked as a school psychologist and project manager in the agency for digital marketing. Her former scientific interest was focused on romantic relationships in adolescence and early adulthood, as well as on stigmatization of mental disorders. She was awarded the Rector’s award for scientific work as a student.

Miranda Novak
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb
Croatia

Miranda Novak, PhD, is an assistant professor working in the group of scientists gathered around the Laboratory for Prevention Research, Department of Behavioral Disorders, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb. Her main research interest is youth mental health promotion, mental health policy, prevention of internalized disorders, evidence-based program implementation and usage of modern technology in mental health promotion. From 2021, she is leading an installation research study on the 5C approach to positive youth development funded by Croatian Science Foundation. She is coordinating a digital youth platform Pukotine.hr supported by Unicef Office Croatia and other partners. Was a Fulbright Research Fellow at University of Oregon, USA, in 2019.

Josipa Mihić
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb
Croatia

Josipa Mihić, is an associate professor and head of the Department of Behavioral Disorders at the study programme of Social Pedagogy at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb. She teaches at the study of social pedagogy and the doctoral study of Prevention Science and is a member of the Laboratory for Preventive Research (PrevLab). Within the Laboratory, she studies risk behaviors, the development of emotional and social competencies in children and youth in the school environment, the effect of mindfulness /meditative practice on positive development of individuals, and the role of compassion and self-compassion in preventing behavioral problems and mental health promotion. She also works as a psychotherapist at the Teaching and Clinical Center of the Faculty.

Participants' prior knowledge / Potrebno predznanje: No prior knowledge is needed.

Learning outcomes / Ishodi učenja: Participants will gain knowledge about self-compassion and the potential benefits of promoting self-compassion in the higher education system.