Mediating role of appearance anxiety in the relationships among self-compassion, body awareness, and body dissociation in Indian young adults

Appearance anxiety and difficulties in connecting with one’s bodily experiences are increasingly prevalent globally. Sociocultural expectations, media influencers, and rapidly changing appearance-related standards contribute to this heightened anxiety and disconnection. Although self-compassion has been identified as a protective factor for body image concerns, there has been limited research concerning how these variables interact within the Indian context. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine whether appearance anxiety mediates the relationship between self-compassion and body connection (body awareness and body dissociation) among Indian young adults. Online assessments for self-compassion, body awareness, body dissociation, and appearance anxiety were administered on males (N = 114) and females (N = 192). The study used three scales: Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, Scale of Body Connection, and Appearance Anxiety Inventory. Correlational analysis revealed that self-compassion had a significant and positive correlation with body awareness (r= .13, p < .05) and a significant and negative correlation with appearance anxiety (r = − .35, p < .01) and body dissociation (r = − .29, p < .01). Mediation analyses indicated that appearance anxiety partially mediated the associations between self-compassion and body awareness (β= -0.09, SE = 0.03, BootLLCI= -0.16, BootULCI= -0.04) with a small effect size of R2med 0.007, as well as self-compassion and body dissociation (β=-0.16 , SE= 0.04 , BootLLCI= -0.24 , BootULCI= -0.09 ) with a small effect size of R2med 0.019. These findings suggest that appearance anxiety may play a mediating role in the associations between self-compassion and body connection (body awareness and body dissociation) in Indian young adults. The results highlight the potential value of interventions that enhance self-compassion and reduce appearance-related anxiety, while also emphasizing the importance of integrating somatic and body-based practices within a holistic approach to foster healthier relationships with the body.