The relationship between COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and meaning in life: testing the moderating effects of self-compassion and savoring. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Samios, Christina; Praskova, Anna; Radlinska, Basia
• Is Part Of: Anxiety, stress, and coping. Volume 35:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 9
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic -- pandemic-related stress -- meaning in life -- self-compassion -- savoring -- moderating effects; Anxiety -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- Research -- Periodicals; Anxiety -- periodicals; Stress -- periodicals; Adaptation, Psychological -- periodicals; 616.8522
• DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2021.1974408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1061-5806

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background and Objectives: The stress people experience in relation to a highly stressful event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can undermine their sense of meaning in life. This study examined the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and meaning in life and whether self-compassion and savoring positive emotional experience moderated this relationship. Methods: Participants ( N = 498) completed measures of pandemic-related stress, dimensions of meaning in life (comprehension, purpose, mattering), self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness), and savoring (savoring through anticipation, savoring the moment, savoring through reminiscence). Results: Results of regression analyses showed that pandemic-related stress related to less meaning in life and that all dimensions of self-compassion and savoring (with the exception of savoring through reminiscence) related positively to a dimension of meaning in life. Only common humanity buffered the relationship between pandemic-related stress and a dimension of meaning in life (purpose) as expected. Unexpectedly, for people high on common humanity the relationship between pandemic-related stress and mattering was positive, and for people high on mindfulness, the relationship between pandemic-related stress and comprehension was negative. Conclusions: Although cross-sectional, this study's findings suggest that promoting common humanity might be important for protecting purpose and enhancing one's sense of mattering during a pandemic.