Rethinking the Limits of Self-Compassion: The Moderating Role of Psychological Well-Being in the Association Between Self-Compassion and Internet Addiction

Abstract

The present study examined the moderating role of psychological well-being in the association between self-compassion and internet addiction in a sample of 285 emerging adults with an average age of 22.65 years (SD = 3.24, 18–29 years). In the present study, Hayes' (2022) Process Macro (Model 1) was used to evaluate the moderation model. The findings indicated a significant negative association between self-compassion and internet addiction. Psychological well-being was also negatively correlated with internet addiction. The moderation analysis results revealed that psychological well-being moderates the association between self-compassion and internet addiction. In other words, the association between self-compassion and internet addiction is subject to variation depending on the individual's level of psychological well-being. The findings of this study call into question the assumption that self-compassion is universally equally functional in counseling settings. The findings suggest that the relationship between self-compassion and internet addiction may vary depending on an individual's level of psychological well-being. Furthermore, the negative association between self-compassion and internet addiction becomes statistically significant only within a specific range of psychological well-being. Consequently, psychological counselors and mental health practitioners should focus on enhancing students' psychological well-being prior to instructing them in self-compassion skills to ensure optimal learning and behavioral outcomes.