The mediating role of shame and fear of compassion on the relationship between major life events and depressive symptoms

Abstract

An extensive body of research has showed the impact of major life events on depressive symptoms. However, the underlying psychological processes that contribute to this association are still unclear. The present study aims to explore the mediating role of external shame and fears of receiving compassion on the associations of the number of major life events and their appraisals by the individual with depressive symptoms. Participants were 400 Portuguese-speaking adults from the general population (121 men and 279 women) with ages between 18 and 65 years, that completed self-report measures. Correlation analysis showed significant and positive associations between the number of major life events that occurred in the previous year and the positive and negative appraisal of such events, external shame, fears of receiving compassion, and depressive symptoms. Path analysis revealed that external shame and fears of receiving compassion fully mediated the effects of number of life events on depressive symptoms. Furthermore, results showed a direct effect of negative appraisal of major life events on depressive symptoms. This study sheds light on the psychological processes that may underlie the relationship between the cumulative number of major life events and depressive symptoms. Specifically, it suggests that the occurrence of major life events can impact on depressive symptoms when associated with feelings of shame and fears of receiving compassion from others.