How do dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion alleviate loneliness? The mediating role of rejection sensitivity

Loneliness is detrimental to both mental and physical health. Previous studies have suggested that mindfulness and self-compassion could alleviate loneliness, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. The current cross-sectional study investigated whether rejection sensitivity played a mediating role in the associations between dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion with loneliness. Two hundred and seventy-five Canadian adults were recruited from social media platforms and filled out questionnaires measuring dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, rejection sensitivity, and loneliness. Results of data analyses showed that both dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were significantly and negatively associated with rejection sensitivity and loneliness. Rejection sensitivity had a significant and positive relationship with loneliness. Most importantly, rejection sensitivity significantly mediated the associations between dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion with loneliness. The results suggest that rejection sensitivity can explain the relationship mindfulness and self-compassion have with loneliness. This study provides a new perspective for understanding how and why mindfulness and self-compassion could alleviate loneliness. It also suggests that the impact mindfulness and self-compassion training have on loneliness could be maximized by focusing on rejection sensitivity.

Automated summary

This study investigates the mediating role of rejection sensitivity in the associations between dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion with loneliness. The results suggest that rejection sensitivity can explain the relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion and loneliness. This provides a new perspective for understanding how to alleviate loneliness.