I've got a friend in me: The effect of self-compassion on affect via emotion regulation in adolescents using ecological momentary assessment.

Self-compassion has been associated with reductions in negative affect and increases in positive affect in both adolescents and adults. Surprisingly, little research has investigated the pathways through which self-compassion and affect are linked in adolescents. Therefore, the current study examined how self-compassion, assessed in daily life, influenced momentary affect via three emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal, distraction, and rumination. A total of 236 adolescents (Mage = 13.47 years, SDage = .42, 11-15 years; 130 males) participated in an ecological momentary assessment study, in which they reported their use of self-compassion, different emotion regulation strategies as well as their momentary affect (both negative and positive) 5 times a day for 14 consecutive days. Results from person-specific mediation models revealed no indirect effects. However, beneficial effects of self-compassion on adolescents' daily life were found, particularly in increasing positive affect and reducing rumination use. Overall, no support was found for the facilitating role of self-compassion on cognitive reappraisal or distraction usage. These findings highlight the potential of self-compassion as a valuable component in prevention programs aimed at enhancing positive affect and mitigating rumination in adolescents, although its impact on cognitive reappraisal and distraction remains inconclusive.