Journal of health research in community

Introduction and purpose: In patients with type 2 diabetes, psychological factors, such as self-compassion and self-efficacy, can improve quality of life by reducing psychological stress and increasing health behaviors. The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between positive and negative components of self-compassion and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. A total of 250 patients with type 2 diabetes were purposively selected from Imam Sajjad (AS) Hospital in Tabriz in 2024. The research instruments included the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (1998), Self-Compassion by Wang et al. (2022), and Self-Efficacy Related to Diabetes Management by Evaggelia Fappa (2016). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS and AMOS software packages using the Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis.
Results: The results demonstrated that the direct paths of positive dimensions of self-compassion to self-efficacy (β=0.39), self-efficacy to quality of life (β=0.62), and self-compassion to quality of life (β=0.17), as well as the negative dimensions of self-compassion to quality of life (β=-0.19), were significant.  In addition, the indirect path between positive dimensions of self-compassion and quality of life through self-efficacy was significant (β=0.24). The fit indices were at a desirable level (CFI=0.97; NLI=0.96; RMSEA=0.06).
Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, strengthening the positive components of self-compassion and self-efficacy can be an effective strategy for improving the quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes. Designing educational interventions based on self-compassion is recommended alongside psychological treatments.