The moderating Role of Self- Compassion in the Relationship between Depression Symptoms and Psychological Well-being in Widowed Women

The association between depression symptoms and psychological well-being has received both theoretical and empirical support, however, less is known about the moderating mechanisms in this relationship. The current study aimed to explore the moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between depressive symptoms and psychological well-being. The research method was descriptive – correlational. The statistical population was widowed women who referred to the East Tehran Welfare Organization in 2019, and a total of 130 women were selected via a simple accidental sampling method. Psychological Well-being Scale (PWS), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used to collect the data. Collected data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Results showed that the relationship between depressive symptoms and psychological well-being (r= -0.54, p<0.001) was significantly negative. Also, results of hierarchical regression confirmed the moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between depressive symptoms and psychological well-being (β= -0.23, p<0.01). The present study highlights the moderating role of self-compassion as an underlying mechanism between depression symptoms and psychological well-being. Therefore, increasing self-compassion in widowed women could be a good way to protect them in the face of adversity and suffering in life.