The role of self-compassion on parental stress and parenting satisfaction among Indian parents

Parenting is one of the most fulfilling yet psychologically demanding roles in adulthood. Parental stress is consistently associated with lower parenting satisfaction, the mechanisms underlying this association is still not fully explored in Indian contexts. The present study examined the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between parental stress and parenting satisfaction among 252 Indian parents (aged 25-45 years) with at least one child aged 2-12 years, using a correlational design and purposive sampling method. Parental Stress, Self-Compassion and Parenting Satisfaction were measured using the Parental Stress Scale, Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, and the Satisfaction Subscale of Parenting Sense of Competence Scale-Revised, respectively. Spearman correlations and Hayes’ PROCESS macro were used for analysis. Results indicated significant negative correlations between parental stress and parenting satisfaction as well as between parental stress and self-compassion, and a significant positive correlation between self-compassion and parenting satisfaction. Mediation analysis indicated that self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between parental stress and parenting satisfaction, with parental stress retaining a significant direct effect. These findings suggest that parental stress undermines self-compassion, which further reduces parenting satisfaction, positioning self-compassion as a key modifiable resource for Indian parents. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, use of self-report measures, underrepresentation of fathers, which restrict causal inference and generalizability. Future research should employ longitudinal designs, diverse representative samples, incorporating qualitative approach for in-depth understanding of variables influence, and test culturally adapted self-compassion interventions to establish causal pathways and inform evidence-based parenting support programs in India.