the role of social safeness and self-compassion in mental health problems: a model based on gilbert theory of emotion regulation systems

Objective: this study aimed to investigate the role of social safeness and self-compassion,as two essential components of gilbert’s theory, in mental health. in this regard and based ontheoretical foundations, the mediation model of the relationship between social safeness andmental health problems was examined through self-compassion as a mediator.methods: a total of 344 students from the university of bojnord, bojnord city, iran, inthe 2019-2020 academic year were recruited using the cluster sampling method. they wereresponded to the social safeness and pleasure scale, self-compassion scale (short form),and depression, anxiety, and stress scale. the obtained data were analyzed using structuralequation modeling (sem).results: the mediation model showed a good fit (χ2⁄df: 1.77; rmsea: 0.043; cfi: 0.99; gfi:0.98; agfi: 0.96; nfi: 0.98; tli: 0.98). beta coefficients indicate significant direct effectof social safeness on self-compassion (beta=0.57; p≤0.001), significant direct effect of selfcompassionon mental health problems (beta=-0.75; p≤0.001), as well as a significant indirecteffect of social safeness on mental health problems (beta=-0.42; p≤0.001).conclusion: social safeness affects mental health problems (depression, anxiety, and stress)through self-compassion as a mediator. a high sense of social safeness protects againstdepression, anxiety, and stress through increasing self-compassion. however, low socialsafeness increases vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and stress by reducing self-compassion.