As long as you are self-compassionate, you will never walk alone. The interplay between self-compassion and rejection sensitivity in predicting loneliness.

Abstract

Research shows that one of the key predictors of loneliness is cognitive-affective attitude towards oneself. Until recently, researchers' interest in this area was focused mainly on self-esteem. Lately, however, researchers looking for the antecedents of loneliness turned their attention to a different self-attitude variable-namely, self-compassion. The aim of the current study was to extend the existing research on the self-compassion-loneliness link by investigating rejection sensitivity as a potential underlying mechanism and moderator of the relationship between these variables. A sample of 204 participants from Poland, aged 18-70 years (M=28.36, SD=9.19), completed a set of three questionnaires: the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. The study revealed that rejection sensitivity was both a mediator and a moderator between self-compassion and loneliness. These results are discussed in the context of the cognitive-affective mechanisms of loneliness and the protective functions of self-compassion.