Self-Compassion Contributes to Decreased Hopelessness in Young Gay Men: Two Types of Maladaptive Coping Strategies as Mediators

Introduction Hopelessness is widespread among gay men, and it is of great academic value to identify personal factors that can ameliorate their hopelessness. The objective of this study was to determine whether self-compassion is associated with decreased hopelessness in young gay men, and explore the mediating effects of two types of maladaptive coping strategies (concealment of gay identity and rumination) on this relationship. Methods In 2020, 370 Chinese young gay men recruited via the Internet were assessed by self-reported scales measuring self-compassion, concealment of gay identity, rumination, and hopelessness. Results Findings showed that self-compassion was negatively correlated with hopelessness in young gay men. Rumination mediated the relation between self-compassion and hopelessness, and the size of this mediation effect was larger than other mediation effects. Concealment of gay identity and rumination also played a sequential mediating role between self-compassion and hopelessness, but the independent mediation effect of concealment of gay identity was not statistically significant. Conclusion Self-compassion contributes to decreased hopelessness among young gay men via the reduction of concealment of gay identity and rumination. Policy Implications Policy makers need to give more support to programs that strengthen individual self-compassion, such as compassion-focused therapy, to effectively reduce hopelessness among young gay men.