Financial restraints are among the most obvious problems faced by college students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, as insufficient economic resources can impair not only academic progress but also psychological well-being. This study aimed to provide an overview of self-compassion among poor undergraduate students. This study used a cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive methodology. Two hundred ninety-five underprivileged college students from Jakarta, Indonesia, participated in this study. This study used a self-compassion measure to collect data on self-compassion, along with demographic information (gender, age, and household income). The results show that college students from disadvantaged backgrounds typically exhibit high levels of self-compassion. Analysis of the dimensions showed varying tendencies in self-kindness (moderate to high), common humanity (moderate to high), mindfulness (moderate to high), self-judgment (low to moderate), isolation (moderate), and over-identification (low to high), reflecting a balanced combination of compassionate and uncompassionate self-responding. Furthermore, additional analyses revealed no significant differences in overall self-compassion across demographic variables, including gender, age, and parental income. These results suggest that, despite the economic limitations they experience, underprivileged students can maintain a relatively high level of self-compassion, which may help them navigate academic pressures and financial stress more adaptively. This study highlights the importance of exploring strengths among underprivileged youth. This study provides a basis for future research on the role of self-compassion in promoting psychological resilience among disadvantaged student populations.
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