“May all be well”: The links between compassion, psychological distress, and mindfulness in teaching in early years

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between compassion and mindfulness in teaching among early years practitioners, with low levels of psychological distress as a mediator. A total of 81 early years practitioners were recruited from the United Kingdom via mass emails and announcements on social media platforms. Findings based on path analysis indicated that lower psychological distress mediated the positive relation between compassion and intrapersonal mindfulness in teaching, after controlling for level of education, years of practice, and role of practitioner. More specifically, compassion was related to psychological distress, intrapersonal mindfulness, and interpersonal mindfulness in teaching, whereas psychological distress was related to intrapersonal mindfulness, but not interpersonal mindfulness in teaching. The present findings inform early years practitioners and researchers of a differential chain of processes between compassion, psychological distress, and mindfulness in teaching.