The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Happiness in Student-Athletes: The Role of Self-Compassion—Mediator or Moderator?

• Published in: Journal of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavior therapy 2022-03, Vol.40 (1), p.75-85
• Main Authors: Tingaz, Emre Ozan, Solmaz, Serdar, Ekiz, Meryem Altun, Guvendi, Burcu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Community and Environmental Psychology; Education; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health
• ISSN: 0894-9085; 1573-6563
• DOI: 10.1007/s10942-021-00397-0

In the present study, the mediating and moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between mindfulness and happiness was examined through Structural Equation Modeling in student-athletes. Three hundred sixty-three individual and team-sport athletes (63.9% male; 35.8% female; 0.3% non-binary, M age  = 21.51 SD  = 3.33) participating in the study were asked to fill out the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. There were significant positive correlations between mindfulness, self-compassion, and happiness. Structural equation modeling revealed that self-compassion did not have a moderator role in the relationship between mindfulness and happiness. On the other hand, self-compassion played a fully mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and happiness in student-athletes. While these are correlational data that do not permit causal inferences, these findings raise the possibility, in this population, that advances a better understanding of the impact mechanism of mindfulness on happiness.