Mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring: Factors that explain the relation between perceived social support and well-being
Jenna M Wilson, Audrey Weiss, Natalie J. Shook
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (two cross-sectional surveys) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,024 |
| Population | U.S. college students (Study 1 N=1024; Study 2 N=228) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Perceived social support was indirectly associated with lower depression, anxiety, and dysfunctional attitudes through mindfulness in Study 1, and Study 2 replicated and extended this: social support was associated with greater mindfulness, self-compassion, savoring, psychological well-being, and happiness, and with lower depression and perceived stress, with each of mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring accounting for these associations. The authors propose three pathways through which social support may improve well-being. |
Abstract
Abstract Perceived social support has consistently been associated with better psychological well-being, but the pathway(s) through which social support increases positive psychological outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction) and reduces negative psychological outcomes (e.g., depression) remain unknown. Potentially, social support may encourage a more balanced, self-forgiving, and positive perspective, which may facilitate better well-being. We investigated the extent to which mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring accounted for the relation between perceived social support and psychological well-being, as assessed by multiple outcome measures, in college students in the U.S. In Study 1 (N = 1024), greater perceived social support was indirectly related to lower levels of negative psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, dysfunctional attitudes) through mindfulness. In Study 2 (N = 228), we replicated and extended these findings. Perceived social support was significantly associated with greater mindfulness, self-compassion, savoring, and positive psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., psychological well-being, subjective happiness), as well as lower levels of negative psychological well-being outcomes (i.e., depression, perceived stress). Furthermore, mindfulness, self-compassion, and savoring each accounted for the association between perceived social support and these psychological well-being outcomes. These findings suggest three pathways through which perceived social support may improve psychological well-being.
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
Cited by 14
- Effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction: a quasi-experimental study in college students. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- The Role of Trait Mindfulness in the Association between Loneliness and Psychological Distress Mindfulness August 1, 2023
- The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Intervention Using Mindful Breathing Practice on Self-Regulation and Social Skills in Early Childhood Children Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies July 25, 2026
- Sacred vs. Secular Mindfulness Meditation: The Influence of Presentation Priming on Therapeutic Effectiveness July 31, 2021
- Morning yoga as an embodied regulatory practice: longitudinal changes in children’s self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a school-based yoga program Frontiers in Psychology July 23, 2026
and 9 more in the library
Cites 4
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Stress and Health March 15, 2010
- Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators The Journal of Positive Psychology April 11, 2012
- Self-compassion is a better predictor than mindfulness of symptom severity and quality of life in mixed anxiety and depression. Journal of Anxiety Disorders August 19, 2010