The Role of Psychological Flexibility in the Relationship Between Shame-Proneness and Self-Esteem Among International Migrants During the Post-Arrival Adaptation Stage

International migration presents profound psychological challenges that can undermine self-esteem, particularly for shame-prone individuals who interpret migration stressors as evidence of global self-deficiency. A robust meta-analytic association between shameproneness and self-esteem (r = “.64 across 578 samples; Budiarto & Helmi, 2021) underscores this vulnerability, yet the mechanisms driving this relationship in migration contexts remain poorly understood. This paper proposes a conceptual model in which psychological flexibility—the capacity to remain open to difficult emotions while pursuing valued action—serves as a critical mediating process linking shame-proneness and self-esteem during the post-arrival adaptation stage. Drawing on affect theory, Social Self-Preservation Theory, and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), the model proposes that shame-prone migrants become cognitively fused with global self-judgments, systematically eroding self-esteem through avoidance of esteem-supportive activities. Psychological flexibility offers a mechanism for interrupting these rigid, language-based scripts by enabling mindful engagement with shame and restoring values-based approach behaviours. The paper outlines the theoretical foundations, a mechanistic account of how flexibility interrupts shame’s globalisation, and a hypothetical empirical design to test the proposed mediation model. Practical implications for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions during the critical post-arrival period are discussed