Negative cognitive style as a mediator between self-compassion and hopelessness depression

We examined the relationship between self-compassion and hopelessness depression. The participants were 418 students at a technology college in Hunan, China, who completed questionnaires to measure self-compassion, hopelessness depression, and negative cognitive style. The results showed that self-compassion was negatively associated with both hopelessness depression and negative cognitive style, and negative cognitive style emerged as a significant mediator in the relationship between self-compassion and hopelessness depression. The results suggest that self-compassion had buffering effects on hopelessness depression through its positive effects on negative cognitive style. The findings in the present study can help expand current understanding of self-compassion and hopelessness depression.