The Mediating Role of Family Communication Patterns in the Relationshipbetween Emotional Maturity and Self-Compassion with Vulnerability to Stress in Soldiers

Soldiering is a stressful period in which there is a possibility of mental disorder. So, the aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of family communication patterns in the relationship between emotional maturity and self-compassion with vulnerability to stress in soldiers

This research is a descriptive correlational study. Participants statistical of the present study include 250 soldiers of military in Maraghe, Iran at 2020 that have been selected by simple random sampling. Following the issuance of the necessary permits and the consent of the authorities, the objectives of the investigation were presented to all participants and the questionnaires were distributed by the staff. Miller and Smith vulnerability to stress questionnaire (with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 and a convergent validity of 0.7), Bhargava and Singh emotional maturity scale (with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.79 and a convergent validity of 0.88), Neff self-compassion scale (with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.8 and a convergent validity of 0.91) and Fitzpatric family communication patterns questionnaire (with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.69 and a convergent validity of 0.86) were used for data collection. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis tests using SPSS and Amos version 24.

The results indicated that emotional maturity and self-compassion in interaction with the role of family communication patterns are involved in explaining the models of vulnerability to stress in soldiers, in which case the variance of vulnerability to stress in soldiers through variables of the model is explained by 28% in total. The direct effect of self-compassion (-0.15), emotional immaturity (0.5) and conversation orientation (-0.16) were significant in estimating vulnerability to stress (P<0.05). Also, the results of the Sobel test showed that the indirect effects of self-compassion (t-value = 2.84) and emotional immaturity (t-value = 2.93) through conversation orientation on vulnerability to stress were significant (P<0.05). But, the indirect effects of self-compassion and emotional immaturity through conformity orientation on vulnerability to stress was not significant (P>0.05).

Considering the direct and indirect effects of the exogenous and mediating variables on endogenous, it can be concluded that vulnerability to stress can be reduced by enhancing emotional maturity, self-compassion and conversation orientation.