The Unseen Armor Against Life's Blows

While sport is a valuable tool for fostering social participation among young people, it also faces the threat of gender discrimination. People who are exposed to gender discrimination are more likely to develop depression. However, self-compassion plays a protective role in depression. This research aimed to determine whether self-compassion mediates the relationship between university sports team players' perceived gender discrimination and their depression levels. The study involved 93 female and 110 male college team athletes aged 18-27. As a result, perceived gender discrimination had an indirect effect on participants' levels of depression through self-compassion. Athletes who experienced greater gender discrimination were found to exhibit elevated levels of depression and diminished self-compassion. Conversely, those with increased self-compassion reported lower levels of depression. Therefore, it is posited that self-compassion may serve as a protective factor for adolescents against depression in early adulthood, mitigating the negative impacts associated with perceived gender discrimination.