The effect of psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and mindfulness on mental health among university students
Yunus Sahinler, Mustafa Deniz Dindar, Mustafa Can Koc
Frontiers in Psychology March 17, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1757032 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with multiple mediation analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | University students in Türkiye |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Psychological flexibility showed strong positive correlations with mindfulness (ρ = 0.712), self-compassion (ρ = 0.762), and mental health (ρ = 0.668), and a significant direct regression relationship with mental health (b = 0.1769, p < 0.001). The authors argue that psychological flexibility has a significant and complex impact on students' mental health. |
Abstract
Background: Although studies have been conducted on psychological flexibility, self-compassion and mindfulness, the effects of these factors on the mental health of university students have not yet been sufficiently researched.
Objective: This study seeks to investigate the effects of psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and mindfulness on mental health among university students in Türkiye.
Methods: The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, AMOS, and the Hayes PROCESS macro. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were first calculated. The hypothesized relationships were tested using Hayes PROCESS Model 4 multiple mediation analysis with 5,000 bootstrap samples to estimate direct and indirect effects.
Results: The results revealed a high and positive correlation between psychological flexibility (pf) and mindfulness (m) (ρ = 0.712, p < 0.01). Pf was also shown to have strong and significant correlations with self-compassion (s) (ρ =0.762, p < 0.01) and mental health (mh) (ρ = 0.668, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant direct relationship between mental health and psychological flexibility ( b = 0.1769, se = 0.0536, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The study demonstrate that psychological flexibility has a significant and complex impact on college students' mental health. People are better at handling stress, more self-compassionate, and more attentive, as seen by the strong and favorable correlations between psychological flexibility, mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental health.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology May 1, 2007
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Six-year positive effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, coping and well-being in medical and psychology students; Results from a randomized controlled trial PLoS One April 24, 2018
and 3 more in the library