Buffering the Impact of Loneliness on Academic Stress: The Moderating Power of Self-Compassion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33367/psi.v9i2.5630Keywords:
Covid 19, Loneliness, Academic Stress, Self-CompassionAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped students’ academic environments, increasing psychological vulnerability due to prolonged social isolation and rising academic demands. This study explores how loneliness contributes to academic stress and whether self-compassion can buffer this relationship. While previous studies have examined loneliness and self-compassion independently, this study uniquely integrates both constructs into a unified model and tests the moderating role of self-compassion-a relationship that has rarely been empirically explored. Using a quantitative method with convenience sampling, data were collected from 88 university students in Indonesia aged 18-25 years. Participants completed standardized scales measuring loneliness, academic stress, and self-compassion via an online form. Multiple regression and moderation analyses revealed that loneliness positively predicted academic stress, while self-compassion had a negative effect. Importantly, self-compassion significantly moderated the impact of loneliness on academic stress, confirming its buffering role across low, moderate, and high levels. These findings demonstrate that self-compassion functions as an emotional coping resource capable of reducing stress associated with social isolation. This study contributes to the literature by addressing a key gap concerning the interaction between social and intrapersonal factors in predicting academic stress, and it offers practical implications for psychological support strategies in academic settings.
Downloads
References
Achterbergh, L., Pitman, A., Birken, M., Pearce, E., Sno, H., & Johnson, S. (2020). The experience of loneliness among young people with depression: A qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 415. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02818-3
Agolla, J. E., & Ongori, H. (2009). An assessment of academic stress among undergraduate students: The case of University of Botswana. Educational Research and Review, 4(2), 63–70.
Akulwar-Tajane, I., Raikundlia, H., & Shinde, S. (2021). Academic stress in physiotherapy students: Are open book examinations the solution in the face of COVID-19 pandemic? Health Research, 5(2), 3–28.
Alarcon, G. M., Edwards, J. M., & Menke, L. E. (2011). Student burnout and engagement: A test of the conservation of resources theory. The Journal of Psychology, 145(3), 211–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.555432
Allen, A. B., & Leary, M. R. (2010). Self-compassion, stress, and coping. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4(2), 107–118. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2009.00246.x
Amaranggani, A. P., Prana, T. T., Arsari, N. M. C. D., Surbakti, A. M., & Rahmandani, A. (2021). Self-compassion dan negative emotional states pada mahasiswa kedokteran umum: Hubungan dan prevalensi. Journal An-Nafs: Kajian Penelitian Psikologi, 6(2), 215–230. https://doi.org/10.33367/psi.v6i2.1623
Attia, M., Ibrahim, F. A., Elsady, M. A.-E., Khorkhash, M. K., Rizk, M. A., Shah, J., & Amer, S. A. (2022). Cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral stress-related symptoms and coping strategies among university students during the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 933981. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.933981
Barseli, M., Ifdil, I., & Fitria, L. (2020). Stress akademik akibat Covid-19. JPGI (Jurnal Penelitian Guru Indonesia, 5(2), 95. https://doi.org/10.29210/02733jpgi0005
Ben-Zur, H., & Zeidner, M. (2012). Appraisals, coping and affective and behavioral reactions to academic stressors. Psychology, 3(9), 713–721. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2012.39108
Berutu, R., & Mutiawati, M. (2023). Understanding learning anxiety and mental health of final year students: A qualitative study. ProGCouns: Journal of Professionals in Guidance and Counseling, 4(1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.21831/progcouns.v4i1.60000
Campagne, D. M. (2019). Stress and perceived social isolation (loneliness). Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 82, 192–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2019.02.007
Chansaengsee, S. (2023). Boredom in online activity during COVID-19 outbreak causing dysfunctional behaviors of adolescent students: Phenomenological study to the creation of virtual reality classroom. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(4), 1749–1770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00673-2
Choo, P. Y., & Marszalek, J. M. (2019). Self-compassion: A potential shield against extreme self-reliance? Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(3), 971–994. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9978-y
Christiansen, J., Qualter, P., Friis, K., Pedersen, S., Lund, R., Andersen, C., Bekker-Jeppesen, M., & Lasgaard, M. (2021). Associations of loneliness and social isolation with physical and mental health among adolescents and young adults. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(4), 226–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139211016077
Cleare, S., Gumley, A., & O’Connor, R. C. (2019). Self‐compassion, self‐forgiveness, suicidal ideation, and self‐harm: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 26(5), 511–530. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2372
Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., Magni, P. A., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 3(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2020.3.1.7
Depow, G. J., Francis, Z., & Inzlicht, M. (2021). The experience of empathy in everyday life. Psychological Science, 32(8), 1198–1213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797621995202
Di Blas, L., Borella, M., & Ferrante, D. (2021). Short-term effects of fluctuations in self-esteem, perceived stress and loneliness in depressive states. Psihologijske Teme, 30(1), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.31820/pt.30.1.5
Drane, C. F., Vernon, L., & O’Shea, S. (2021). Vulnerable learners in the age of COVID-19: A scoping review. The Australian Educational Researcher, 48(4), 585–604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-020-00409-5
Elices, M., Carmona, C., Pascual, J. C., Feliu-Soler, A., Martin-Blanco, A., & Soler, J. (2017). Compassion and self-compassion: Construct and measurement. Mindfulness & Compassion, 2(1), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mincom.2016.11.003
El-Soussi, A. (2022). The shift from face-to-face to online teaching due to COVID-19: Its impact on higher education faculty’s professional identity. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 3, 100139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100139
Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 351–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018807
Harjuna, R. T. B., & Magistarina, E. (2021). Tingkat stress akademik mahasiswa selama daring di masa pandemi. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 5(3), 10791–10798.
Hassan, M., & Asaad, T. (2020). Tension-type headache, its relation to stress, and how to relieve it by cryotherapy among academic students. Middle East Current Psychiatry, 27(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-020-00030-3
Hays, R., & DiMatteo, M. R. (1987). A short-form measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5101_6
Lee, K. J., & Lee, S. M. (2022). The role of self-compassion in the academic stress model. Current Psychology, 41(5), 3195–3204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00843-9
Medina, M. S., Melchert, R. B., & Stowe, C. D. (2020). Fulfilling the tripartite mission during a pandemic. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(6), ajpe8156. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8156
Mosanya, M. (2021). Buffering academic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic related social isolation: Grit and growth mindset as protective factors against the impact of loneliness. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 6(2), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-020-00043-7
Musumari, P. M., Tangmunkongvorakul, A., Srithanaviboonchai, K., Techasrivichien, T., Suguimoto, S. P., Ono-Kihara, M., & Kihara, M. (2018). Grit is associated with lower level of depression and anxiety among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 13(12), e0209121. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209121
Nande, A., Adlam, B., Sheen, J., Levy, M. Z., & Hill, A. L. (2021). Dynamics of COVID-19 under social distancing measures are driven by transmission network structure. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(2), e1008684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008684
Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027
Neff, K. D. (2023). Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 74(1), 193–218. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047
Neff, K. D., Hsieh, Y.-P., & Dejitterat, K. (2005). Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity, 4(3), 263–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576500444000317
Pasha, I. I., Syahidah, A. I., & Ulfa, H. (2020). The role of loneliness towards academic stress end-level students at University X. European Journal of Psychological Research, 7(2), 43–39.
Patapoff, M. A., Jester, D. J., Daly, R. E., Mausbach, B. T., Depp, C. A., & Glorioso, D. K. (2023). Remotely-administered resilience and self-compassion intervention targeting loneliness and stress in older adults: A single-case experimental design. Aging & Mental Health, 28(2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2023.2262411
Putri, R. M., Oktaviani, A. D., Utami, A. S. F., Latif, N., Addiina, H. A., & Nisa, H. (2020). Hubungan pembelajaran jarak jauh dan gangguan somatoform dengan tingkat stres mahasiswa UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Perilaku dan Promosi Kesehatan: Indonesian Journal of Health Promotion and Behavior, 2(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.47034/ppk.v2i1.4003
Ramadhany, A., Firdausi, A. Z., & Karyani, U. (2023). Stres pada mahasiswa selama pandemi COVID-19. Jurnal Psikologi Insight, 5(2), 130–136. https://doi.org/10.17509/insight.v5i2.62774
Rinaldi, M. R. (2021). Kesepian pada mahasiswa selama pandemi COVID-19 di Indonesia. Jurnal Psikologi Teori dan Terapan, 11(3), 267. https://doi.org/10.26740/jptt.v11n3.p267-277
Sugianto, D., Suwartono, C., & Sutanto, S. H. (2020). Reliabilitas dan validitas Self-Compassion Scale versi Bahasa Indonesia. Jurnal Psikologi Ulayat, 7(2), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.24854/jpu107
Sujaritha, J., Deepa, N., Nandhini, J., Vandhana, V., & Mahalakshmi, D. (2022). Stress and stress management: A review. Indian Journal of Natural Sciences, 13(73), 45558–45571.
Sun, J., Dunne, M. P., Hou, X., & Xu, A. (2011). Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents: Development, validity, and reliability with Chinese students. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 29(6), 534–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282910394976
Vanhalst, J., Goossens, L., Luyckx, K., Scholte, R. H. J., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013). The development of loneliness from mid‐ to late adolescence: Trajectory classes, personality traits, and psychosocial functioning. Journal of Adolescence, 36(6), 1305–1312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.04.002
Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI Journal, 16, 1057–1072. https://doi.org/10.17179/EXCLI2017-480
Zarrin, S. A., Gracia, E., & Paixão, M. P. (2020). Prediction of academic procrastination by fear of failure and self-regulation. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 20(3), 34–43.
Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Skinner, E. A., Scott, R. A., Ryan, K. M., Hawes, T., Gardner, A. A., & Duffy, A. L. (2023). Parental support and adolescents’ coping with academic stressors: A longitudinal study of parents’ influence beyond academic pressure and achievement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52(12), 2464–2479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01864-w
Abstract
Views:
319, 
PDF downloads: 83
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Devie Yundianto, Zuniyanti Khoiriyah, Anna Armeini Rangkuti, Muhammad Khatami, Uzma Azam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
