ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2026
Does social support always help? Emotion regulation pathways through self-compassion in maltreated adolescents' PTSD and growth.
Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment often experience co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Perceived social support may influence these outcomes through emotion regulation strategies, yet its effects can be both protective and paradoxical. Self-compassion, comprising positive and negative dimensions, has been conceptualized as an emotion regulation strategy that may mediate these relationships. Methods: A two-wave longitudinal design with a six-month interval was employed. Participants were 1,773 Chinese adolescents (52.3% female) who reported childhood maltreatment. At Time 1, perceived social support, self-compassion, PTSD, and PTG were assessed; at Time 2, self-compassion, PTSD, and PTG were re-assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized dual-pathway mediation mode. Results: Perceived social support positively predicted both positive self-compassion and negative self-compassion. Positive self-compassion was associated with lower PTSD and higher PTG, whereas negative self-compassion predicted only higher PTSD. Significant indirect effects indicated that social support was associated with reduced PTSD and increased PTG through positive self-compassion. Moreover, social support may be marginally associated with elevated PTSD through negative self-compassion in a potential maladaptive pathway. Conclusion: Findings reveal a dual-edged role of perceived social support among maltreated adolescents, operating through distinct self-compassion pathways. The adaptive pathway via positive self-compassion is associated with recovery and growth, while the potential maladaptive pathway via negative self-compassion may be associated with elevated distress. These results highlight self-compassion as a critical emotion regulation mechanism linking social resources to posttraumatic outcomes and suggest that interventions fostering positive self-compassion while addressing self-criticism could benefit trauma-exposed youth.
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