Self-compassion and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Personal Growth Initiative

Eudaimonic approach to well-being is a relatively less researched area in psychology in which human potential and optimal development is emphasised in contrast to the popular hedonic approach that focuses on pleasure attainment. Based on the related literature, we hypothesised a causal link between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being, being mediated by personal growth initiative – a personal resource that facilitates positive development. Using a mediation analysis, we examined the role of personal growth initiative on the relationship between eudaimonic well-being and self-compassion in young adults. The participants were 346 undergraduate students from Bangkok, Thailand. Reliable and valid Likert-type self-report inventories were used to measure the variables. The findings of this study support a positive relationship between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being (r = .64, p< .01),and personal growth initiative partially mediates this relationship. Being self-compassionate in early adulthood triggers personal growth initiatives and this enhances the eudaimonic well-being of the students in turn. The results are discussed with an emphasis on the mediating role of personal growth initiative in early adulthood. The implications of the study are also discussed with its limitations.