Causal relationship between Self-Compassion and Psychological Capital with Corona Anxiety: Mediating Role of Empathy

The Coronavirus not only affects physical health, but the outbreak of this virus can also have devastating psychological effects. To treat and diagnose, these impacts should be identified. This study aimed to the mediating role of empathy in relationship between self-compassion and psychological capital with corona anxiety. The research method was correlation of the type path analysis. The population of this study included all Undergraduate Students Poldokhtar Higher Education Center (450 student) who were studying during the academic year of 2020-2021. 210 male students participated in this study online and responded to Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS; Alipour & et al., 2020), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ; Luthans et al., 2007)and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1983). The research method used was casual modeling. The results showed that the proposed model has a good fit with the data of this study (RMSEA = 0.001, GFI = 1.00, AGFI = 0.98, CFI = 1.00). The results showed that the psychological capital had a direct effect on corona anxiety (β = -0.16, p<0.05); but Self-compassion did not have a direct effect on corona anxiety (p>0.05). Self-compassion had a direct effect on empathy (β = 0.32, p<0/01); but psychological capital did not have a direct effect on empathy (p>0/05). Also, empathy had a direct effect on corona anxiety (β = -0.29, p<0/01). Indirect pathway results showed that only Self-compassion mediated by empathy could reduce corona anxiety (p<0/01). According to the results, students with higher psychological capital and empathy experience less corona anxiety, and on the other hand, the more self-compassion increases, the more empathy improves, which results in a decrease in corona anxiety. Therefore, through education and promotion of self-compassion, empathy can be increased and the severity of corona anxiety in students can be reduced.