Proactive coping has been documented as a significant predictor of perceived stress. When facing stressful events, the more individuals use proactive coping strategies, the lower their stress level will be. However, there is still little research of possible latent factors participating in this relationship to explain how proactive coping can reduce of perceived stress, directly and indirectly. This study aimed to examine whether self-compassion can mediate the relationship between proactive coping and perceived stress among students. In a cross-sectional study carried out in 2019, we invited 384 undergraduate students in Hanoi (Vietnam) to voluntarily complete a self-report questionnaire that measured proactive coping, self-compassion and perceived stress scale. Results showed that proactive coping was positively related to level of self-compassion, and both proactive coping and self-compassion were negatively related to stress scores. The effect of proactive coping on stress was eliminated when self-compassion was controlled, showing the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between proactive coping and perceived stress score. Furthermore, among six factors contributing to the concept of self-compassion, data documented mediating role of “self-kindness,”“self-judgment,” and “mindfulness” while no mediating role of “common humanity,”“isolation,” and “over-identification” was observed. Among three mediating factors, mindfulness appeared to be the most important factor explaining the relationship between proactive coping and perceived stress. These results consolidate existing literature of the protective role of self-compassion on psychological health, and hence provide more support for the application of self-compassion, especially of mindfulness, in working with people with stress.

积极应对已被证明是感知压力的重要预测因素。当面对压力事件时，个人使用积极应对策略的越多，他们的压力水平就越低。然而，对于参与这种关系的可能潜在因素仍然很少有研究来解释主动应对如何直接或间接地减少感知压力。本研究旨在探讨自我慈悲是否可以调节学生主动应对与感知压力之间的关系。在 2019 年进行的一项横断面研究中，我们邀请了河内（越南）的 384 名本科生自愿填写一份自我报告问卷，测量积极应对、自我慈悲和感知压力量表。结果显示，主动应对与自我慈悲水平呈正相关，主动应对和自我慈悲均与压力得分呈负相关。当自我慈悲受到控制时，主动应对对压力的影响被消除，表明自我慈悲在主动应对和感知压力评分之间的中介作用。此外，在影响自我慈悲概念的六个因素中，数据记录了“自我仁慈”、“自我判断”和“正念”的中介作用，而“共同人性”、“孤立”和“正念”没有中介作用。观察到“过度识别”。在三个中介因素中，正念似乎是解释主动应对与感知压力之间关系的最重要因素。这些结果巩固了关于自我慈悲对心理健康的保护作用的现有文献，从而为自我慈悲，尤其是正念在与压力人群合作中的应用提供了更多支持。