Self-compassion as a bridge between lifestyle and depression in older adult evacuees vs. non-evacuees

Background: Evacuation from one’s home in later life can disrupt daily structure and emotional stability, increasing vulnerability to depression. Objectives: To examine whether a healthy lifestyle and self-compassion function as protective factors against depressive symptoms in older adults, and to test whether evacuation status moderates these relationships. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 older adults (mean age = 72.3), approximately half of whom were evacuees temporarily relocated from their homes. Participants completed questionnaires examining standardized measures of depressive symptoms (GDS-15), healthy lifestyle (sleep, physical activity, and nutrition; WHO STEPS items), and self-compassion (SCS-SF). Mediation–moderation analyses using PROCESS bootstrapping examined indirect and conditional effects while controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Results: A healthier lifestyle was significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms (p < .001). Self-compassion partially mediated this relationship, with a stronger indirect effect among evacuees. Education and gender also predicted depression, whereas age and marital status did not. Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and self-compassion partially accounted for this association, with a stronger indirect effect among evacuees.