Do gratitude and self-compassion moderate the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and mental health in emerging adult college women?

J Am Coll Health. 2026 May 31:1-9. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2026.2673431. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Emerging adult college women are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges, highlighting the need to identify protective factors. This study examined whether gratitude and self-compassion moderate the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and mental health outcomes (anxiety symptoms, rumination, well-being). Participants: 444 emerging adult college women (M = 19.51 years, SD = 1.13) from a U.S. university. Methods: Participants completed an online survey in 2024 using measures of perfectionism, gratitude, self-compassion, anxiety, rumination, and well-being. Results: Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis, controlling for perfectionistic striving, revealed that self-compassion moderated the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and both anxiety symptoms and rumination. Specifically, self-compassion buffered anxiety symptoms when perfectionistic concerns were high, whereas its association with lower rumination was evident primarily at lower levels of perfectionistic concerns. Conclusions: These findings underscore self-compassion as a valuable resource for supporting mental health in college women. Universities should consider offering self-compassion-based resources and interventions.

PMID:42218784 | DOI:10.1080/07448481.2026.2673431