Bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness: A two-wave longitudinal study

Previous research has found that self-compassion enhances well-being outcomes such as happiness and meaning in life. However, little is known about the link between self-compassion and psychological richness, a recently introduced concept of well-being. Thus, an exploration of the relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. To address this issue, this study investigated the temporal directionality of their relationship within a cohort of Chinese college students, utilizing a two-wave longitudinal approach. Using a cross-lagged model, the results revealed that the self-compassion could predict psychological richness 3 months later, and conversely, psychological richness could also predict subsequent self-compassion. This research provides new insights into the bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness, broadening our understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. Future interventions should focus on the important effect of self-compassion interventions in the development of psychological richness. In addition, future research could consider interventions on increasing psychological richness to improve the level of self-compassion among college students.