Personality and Resilience in a Jarring Time: Self-Compassion and Hope before and During COVID Disruptions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a widespread and persistent stressor for emerging adults. Personality differences could inform resilience in the face of this pandemic. Using data from multiple college adult samples measured before and during impacts of COVID, we addressed how differences in hope and self-compassion (a) were related to well-being and mental health; (b) could differ given timing of COVID impacts, and (c) showed interactions with COVID timing. Both self-compassion and hope were broadly related with well-being and mental health concerns. Students endorsed lower hope once COVID was impacting daily life. COVID timing moderated the relations of self-compassion with well-being and mental health concerns. Self-compassion showed stronger positive relations with flourishing and thriving during COVID impacts, as well as stronger negative relations with depressive symptoms as students returned to in-person activities during COVID. Findings reinforce the importance of individual differences for resilience with real-world, chronic stressors for emerging adults.