Resilience as a mediator of self-compassion and psychological well-being among Arab adults

Self-compassion is increasingly recognized as a core psychological resource within contemporary happiness and well-being research, particularly from a psychological perspective emphasizing optimal functioning, resilience, and personal growth. Using a cross-sectional design, this study examines the associations between self-compassion and indicators of psychological well-being (flourishing, hope, resilience, life satisfaction) as well as psychological distress and test an indirect effect model in which resilience mediated the relationship between self-compassion and positive well-being outcomes. A total of 318 Saudi Arab adults completed measures of self-compassion, flourishing, hope, resilience, life satisfaction, and psychological distress. Results supported the theorized six-factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form and showed that self-compassion was positively associated with flourishing, hope, resilience, and life satisfaction, and negatively associated with psychological distress. Structural equation modeling indicated that resilience exerted a significant indirect effect in the relationships between self-compassion and flourishing, life satisfaction, and hope. These findings are consistent with theoretical perspectives in positive psychology and self-compassion theory, suggesting that resilience functions as a key psychological mechanism linking self-compassion to well-being. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the potential value of interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion and resilience to promote psychological well-being in Arab populations, particularly in clinical and educational settings.