The Mediating Role of Self-compassion in the Correlation Between Perceived Social Support and Psychosomatic Symptoms Among Students with Gender as the Moderator

Background: Psychosomatic symptoms manifest in different stages of human life. Students are vulnerable to the negative impact of these symptoms on their academic success and the possible consequences, such as illegal drug use and suicide attempts. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the correlation between perceived social support and psychosomatic symptoms among university students. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on the students of the Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz in the academic year 2020 - 2021. The sample population included 372 students (178 males and 194 females) who were selected via simple random sampling. Data were collected using the medical outcomes study-social support survey, Neff’s self-compassion scale (short-form), and DSM-5 somatic symptoms experiences questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. Results: A significant, negative correlation was observed between perceived social support and psychosomatic symptoms (β = -0.14; P = 0.03), and a significant, positive correlation was observed between perceived social support and self-compassion (β = 0.34; P = 0.001). Furthermore, a significant, negative correlation was denoted between self-compassion and psychosomatic symptoms (β = -0.52; P = 0.001). Self-compassion slightly mediated the correlation between perceived social support and psychosomatic symptoms (β = -0.19; P = 0.001), while gender did not moderate this mediating model. Conclusions: According to the results, the modified model had a good fit. Therefore, self-compassion and perceived social support affected psychosomatic symptoms in the university students.