Fear of compassion and self-reported insomnia among college students: A moderated mediation model

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between fear of compassion and self-reported insomnia. Furthermore, it explored the mediating role of self-identity and the moderating role of meaning in life within this relationship. METHODS: A total of 1002 university students completed a battery of questionnaires: the Fears of Compassion Scale (FCS), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Self-Identity Scale, and the Chinese Meaning in Life Questionnaire (C-MLQ). To test the hypothesized model, mediation and moderation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Self-identity demonstrated a significant mediating role in the relationship between fear of compassion and self-reported insomnia, with the indirect effect accounting for 20.42% of the total effect. Furthermore, meaning in life was found to moderate the impact of fear of compassion on self-reported insomnia. Specifically, a higher sense of meaning in life reduced the negative effect of fear of compassion on self-reported insomnia. CONCLUSION: Fear of compassion affected university students' self-reported insomnia both directly and indirectly through the mediation of self-identity. Furthermore, meaning in life acted as a protective factor that mitigated the adverse impact of fear of compassion. This finding have practical implications for developing interventions aimed at improving self-reported insomnia. In summary, this study highlights the mediating role of self-identity and the protective regulatory role of meaning in life in the relationship between fear of compassion and self-reported insomnia. These findings provides valuable insights for developing preventive and intervention strategies to address self-reported insomnia issues among university students.