Response to a mindful self-compassion intervention in teens: A within-person association of mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotional well-being outcomes

Longitudinal Impact of the ACT-Based Positive Psychology Intervention to Improve Happiness, Mental Health, and Well-Being

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of ACT-based positive psychology intervention on young people's mental health and well-being. Existing literature offers limited insights into the impacts of ACT-based PPIs, particularly concerning young people. The study explores the potential of this intervention to enhance positive psychological outcomes such as subjective well-being, self-compassion, and optimism, while reducing negative psychological outcomes like pessimism, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and somatic symptoms, and improving resilience. Conducted at a state university, the study involved 42 participants between the ages of 19 and 23 who were assigned to experimental (n = 20) and control (n = 22) group. The experimental group participated in an 8-week ACT-based PPI program. Employing a longitudinal experimental design, the study included a pre-test, post-test, and a follow-up test approximately two years later. Results indicated that the experimental group experienced significant improvements in positive psychological outcomes and reductions in negative outcomes, with the effects sustained during the follow-up period. Notably, long-term enhancements in resilience and self-compassion were observed. Overall, this study provides important evidence of the effectiveness of ACT-based PPI in promoting young people's long-term outcomes, with implications for developing intervention programs to support their mental health and well-being.

The Role of Gratitude in Appreciative Joy's Contribution to Subjective Well-Being

Appreciative joy is one of four immeasurables emphasised in Buddhism. There are similarities and differences between appreciative joy and gratitude, but their combined roles in improving subjective well-being (SWB) are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between appreciative joy and gratitude and their contribution to SWB. Study 1 utilised a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the relationships among appreciative joy, gratitude, and SWB. Study 2 used a randomised controlled trial to explore the effects of a four-week appreciative joy meditation (AJM) training and the underlying mechanisms. The results of Study 1 indicated a moderate positive correlation between appreciative joy and gratitude, and gratitude partially mediated the appreciative joy-SWB relationship. Study 2 further supported the idea that AJM training could increase appreciative joy and gratitude at the one-month follow-up. Furthermore, changes in gratitude caused by the intervention were mediated by appreciative joy. However, since SWB significantly improved at post-measures, we cannot conclude that appreciative joy and gratitude mediated the intervention effect on SWB. Our findings expand the underlying mechanisms of appreciative joy beyond interpersonal domains and highlight the importance of gratitude in understanding the effects of the Buddhist four immeasurable meditations.

Bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness: A two-wave longitudinal study

Previous research has found that self-compassion enhances well-being outcomes such as happiness and meaning in life. However, little is known about the link between self-compassion and psychological richness, a recently introduced concept of well-being. Thus, an exploration of the relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. To address this issue, this study investigated the temporal directionality of their relationship within a cohort of Chinese college students, utilizing a two-wave longitudinal approach. Using a cross-lagged model, the results revealed that the self-compassion could predict psychological richness 3 months later, and conversely, psychological richness could also predict subsequent self-compassion. This research provides new insights into the bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness, broadening our understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. Future interventions should focus on the important effect of self-compassion interventions in the development of psychological richness. In addition, future research could consider interventions on increasing psychological richness to improve the level of self-compassion among college students.

Pilot study of a parent-based intervention for functional somatic symptoms in children

OBJECTIVE

Functional somatic symptoms are associated with significant distress and impairment for children and their families. Despite the central role that families play in their children's care, there is little clinical research to guide how parents can support their children with functional somatic symptoms and promote better functioning. To address this gap, we developed a parent-based intervention for functional somatic symptoms in children and obtained preliminary data on acceptability, feasibility, treatment satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.

METHOD

The intervention was adapted from SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), an evidence-based treatment for anxiety and related disorders in children. The intervention, SPACE-Somatic, was delivered to parents of 16 children (Mage = 14.50 years; 75% girls) with a range of functional somatic symptoms. Parents participated in seven weekly group sessions conducted via telehealth.

RESULTS

We found that SPACE-Somatic was acceptable, feasible, and satisfactory to parents. There were significant improvements in several clinical outcomes from baseline to posttreatment, including children's level of functional impairment, with some gains maintained at 3-month follow-up. Parents also reported improvements in their own stress and their accommodation of children's symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that a parent-based intervention is viable and beneficial to children with functional somatic symptoms and their parents.

Mind-body therapies for resilience in adolescents: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of different mind-body therapies (MBTs) in enhancing resilience in adolescents.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials of different MBTs were identified using electronic databases and manual searches, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, APA PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Google database. The Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) was used to assess risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. A narrative synthesis of the included trials was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 3640 adolescents met the inclusion criteria, with 7 trials evaluating the efficacy of Mindfulness, 2 Martial arts, and 2 Yoga. Among the 11 trials, 3 trials reported a significant effect of Mindfulness on resilience in adolescents (Cohen's d = 0.11 to 0.92), while 2 trials reported a significant effect of Martial arts (Cohen's d = 0.51 to 0.73). However, 2 trials evaluating Yoga did not find significant improvements in resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to inconsistencies in the available evidence and heterogeneity across populations, sample sizes, and interventions, it is currently not possible to derive compelling recommendations to guide clinical practice on MBTs for enhancing resilience in adolescents. Whether MBTs can serve as alternative or adjuvant approaches to other established interventions to foster resilience in adolescents and mitigate the physical-health risks caused by stressful environments remains undetermined, necessitating further high-quality randomized controlled trials to evaluate their actual efficacy.

Care Competencies Training Enhances Adolescents' Well-being: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: This intervention study seeks to assess the impact of a care competencies training program on students' well-being. Method: This randomized controlled trial involved 191 Vietnamese adolescents (65.4% female, Mage = 16 years and 8 months) in a 7-week intervention study that used video vignettes to build their care competencies. Validated scales were used to determine their care competencies (Care Competencies Questionnaire for Adolescents) and well-being (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale) at three points in time: before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention. The full-information maximum likelihood approach was applied to latent growth curve modeling (LGM) in Mplus 8.5 to estimate the initial level (i.e., intercept) and the change (i.e., slope) in care competencies and well-being among adolescents over time. Factor scores of LGMs were saved for correlation and multiple linear regression analysis by using SPSS (version 26.0) to explore the relationships between the changes in care competencies/failures and the changes in well-being. Results: Results showed that, next to a significant increase in care competencies and a significant decrease in care failures, other well-being variables also significantly changed in the intervention group. In the intervention group, but not in the control group, changes in care competencies and failures consistently and significantly predicted changes in well-being. Conclusion: The results support the potential of the video vignette-based intervention to promote the development of adolescents' care competencies.

Is decreasing problematic mobile phone use a pathway for alleviating adolescent depression and sleep disorders? A randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of an eight-session mindfulness-based intervention

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention in reducing problematic mobile phone use, depression, and sleep disorders among adolescents. Additionally, it sought to investigate whether the decrease in problematic mobile phone use acted as a mediator in the relationship between the MBCT intervention and adolescent depression and sleep disorders.

Methods

In a randomized controlled trial, a total of 104 adolescents were randomly assigned to the mindfulness group (n = 52) or the wait-list control group (n = 52). The mindfulness group students completed eight 45-min sessions of mindfulness training in four weeks. The outcomes were measured at baseline, postintervention, and at the 2-month follow-up.

Results

Compared with the control group, the mindfulness group had significantly greater levels of mindfulness and lower levels of problematic mobile phone use, depression, and sleep disorders postintervention. The intervention effects were maintained at the 2-month follow-up. In addition, decreased problematic mobile phone use significantly mediated the association between the MBCT intervention and decreased depression and decreased sleep disorders.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that MBCT could improve adolescent depression and sleep disorders and that decreasing problematic mobile phone use is an effective pathway accounting for the MBCT intervention effect on adolescent depression and sleep disorders.

The effect of self-compassion on social media addiction among college students - The mediating role of gratitude: An observational study

In contemporary society, social media pervades every aspect of daily life, offering significant benefits such as enhanced access to information, improved interconnectivity, and fostering community among its users. However, its usage, particularly when excessive, can lead to negative psychological outcomes, including the prevalence of social media addiction (SMA) among adolescents. While extensive research has been conducted on the phenomenon of SMA, there is a notable paucity of studies examining the link between individual levels of self-compassion and susceptibility to SMA. This study aims to investigate the correlation between self-compassion and SMA in college students, while also examining the potential mediating influence of gratitude. The study sampled 1131 college students who engaged in an anonymous online survey. This survey utilized the Chinese translations of the Self-Compassion Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and SMA Scale. For data analysis, validated factor analysis was performed using IBM® SPSS® AMOS™ version 23. Correlation analyses were carried out with IBM® SPSS® version 22.0, and the PROCESS macro (Model 4) was employed to assess path and mediation effects. Higher levels of positive self-compassion were found to mitigate the effects of SMA, while elevated levels of negative self-compassion were associated with an increase in such addiction. The study further revealed that gratitude played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and SMA. Specifically, positive self-compassion can reduce symptoms of SMA by enhancing levels of gratitude, whereas negative self-compassion may worsen these symptoms by diminishing gratitude. Positive self-compassion is instrumental in fostering personal growth among college students, with gratitude serving as a significant mediator in reducing SMA.

Stress Management Interventions Among U.S. High School Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Adolescent ineffective stress management has been associated with negative health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. Comprehensively evaluating the effects of stress management interventions is needed.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of stress management interventions on mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect) and perform moderation analysis to identify moderators of intervention effects on stress, anxiety, and depression among U.S. high school adolescents.

METHODS

Four databases (CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were searched. After literature screening, 24 articles describing 25 studies were retained. Hedge's g was calculated using random-effects models. Exploratory moderation analyses were performed to identify moderators.

RESULTS

The pooled effects on reducing stress were -0.36. The interventions had small effects on decreasing anxiety (g = -0.31) and depression (g = -0.23). Long-term follow-up effects were -0.77 on perceived stress, -0.08 on anxiety, and -0.19 on depression. Mind-body and cognitive-behavioral interventions had moderate effects on reducing anxiety (g = -0.51). Interventions with longer duration (>8 weeks) were more effective in reducing anxiety (-0.39 vs. -0.26) and depression (-0.36 vs. -0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the short-term effectiveness of stress management interventions in improving mental health among high school adolescents in the United States. Subsequent research efforts should focus on sustaining long-term effects.

Feasibility, acceptability, and depression outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (MSC-T) for adolescents with subsyndromal depression

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents are experiencing high rates of depressive symptoms, with negative consequences to their long-term health. Group-based, mindful self-compassion programs show promise in mitigating the development of more significant depression in at-risk adolescents. However, the lack of well-designed, active control conditions has limited the ability to examine the efficacy of such interventions.

METHODS

Fifty-nine adolescents (Mage  = 15.81, 70% female) with subsyndromal depressive symptoms from the Southeastern US were randomized to group-based Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (N = 30) or a newly developed active control Healthy Lifestyles group (N = 29) during 2018 and 2019. Participants attended 8 weekly "main" sessions followed by 6 monthly continuation sessions. The feasibility and acceptability of participation in both groups were measured using attrition, attendance, credibility, and satisfaction data. Depression scores were collected weekly, and self-compassion scores were collected five times across 36 weeks.

RESULTS

Both groups were equally feasible and acceptable during the 8-week program period; however, monthly continuation sessions were poorly attended in both groups. The risk of developing clinically significant depression was 2.6 times higher in the control group compared with the self-compassion group (p = .037) across 36 weeks. Depression significantly decreased in the self-compassion group, while it significantly increased in the control group. Both groups increased significantly in reports of self-compassion. These findings are on par with results noting the efficacy of cognitive-based interventions for high-risk adolescents; follow-up studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to confirm these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial examination suggests Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens programming is feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in preventing the development of clinically significant depression in adolescents with subsyndromal depression. Future studies may benefit from refinements to the self-compassion measurement and/or the attention control condition; moreover, larger sample sizes are needed to confirm results.

Self-compassion and avoidant coping as mediators of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health and alcohol use in young adulthood

BACKGROUND

Exposure to childhood maltreatment increases the risk of mental health and substance use problems. Understanding the mechanisms linking maltreatment to these problems is critical for prevention.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether self-compassion and avoidant coping mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental ill-health and alcohol use.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Australians aged 18-20 years at baseline were recruited through social media and professional networks.

METHODS

Participants (n = 568) completed an online survey, and were followed up annually for two subsequent surveys. Mediation models were conducted with the SPSS PROCESS macro. Maltreatment was the predictor; Wave 2 self-compassion and avoidant coping as mediators; Wave 3 mental health and alcohol use as outcomes.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment predicted greater mental health symptoms (b = 0.253, 95 % CI = 0.128-0.378), and alcohol use (b = 0.057, 95 % CI = 0.008-0.107). Both self-compassion (b = 0.056, 95 % CI = 0.019-0.093) and avoidant coping (b = 0.103, 95 % CI = 0.024-0.181) mediated the relationship between maltreatment and mental health. Additionally, avoidant coping, but not self-compassion, mediated the relationship (b = 0.040, 95 % CI 0.020-0.061) with alcohol use. However, when controlling for pre-existing mental health and substance use, neither self-compassion nor avoidant coping mediated the relationship with mental health. Only avoidant coping mediated the link with alcohol use (b = 0.010, 95 % CI = 0.001-0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggests that by adulthood, self-compassion and avoidant coping may not explain future change in mental health symptoms; however, avoidant coping accounts for change in alcohol use across early adulthood. Reducing avoidant coping may prevent hazardous alcohol use across young adulthood among people exposed to childhood maltreatment.

Mindful Self-Compassion as an Antidote to Burnout for Mental Health Practitioners

The objective of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between levels of self-compassion and burnout for currently practicing mental health practitioners (MHPs) in the United States. All professionals are vulnerable to burnout based on various types of organizational stressors, but burnout is of particular concern for health care service providers who may need to adopt a stance of detachment, or emotional distance, as relief from intense workloads, with clients. The data were collected through an online survey. Regression analysis found that scores from Neff's Self-Compassion Scale were a significant negative predictor of levels of MHP burnout, as assessed by Schaufeli et al.'s Burnout Assessment Tool, p < 0.001. The implication of this finding is that cultivating self-compassion appears to be a pragmatic self-care strategy for MHPs to mitigate the negative effects of burnout. More educational and occupational training in self-compassion practices as self-care should be provided to help protect the physical and emotional well-being of MHPs. The deleterious systemic effects of burnout make MHP self-care an ethical issue, along with the need to identify protective factors, prevention, and treatment of burnout.

Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Peace of Mind? The Mediating Role of Nonattachment

Peace of mind is an important affective well-being valued in Chinese culture. Mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially promote peace of mind. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects were not well understood. The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether nonattachment explained the effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind. A sample of 364 Chinese adults was recruited from WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform. Participants filled out an online survey including measures of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. The results of correlation analyses revealed significant and positive associations among mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. Furthermore, nonattachment significantly mediated the associations between mindfulness and self-compassion with peace of mind. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment were stronger for women than for men. Gender did not moderate the direct effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind, the relationship between nonattachment and peace of mind, and the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind through nonattachment. These findings suggest that nonattachment may be a potential mechanism through which mindfulness and self-compassion promote peace of mind among Chinese adults. If the mediating effects are confirmed in future longitudinal and experimental studies, mindfulness and self-compassion interventions can emphasize nonattachment to optimize their effects on peace of mind. It may also be important to tailor mindfulness and self-compassion training for men and women given the gender differences in the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment.

The effect of brief digital mindfulness-based interventions on increasing online charitable behavior in Chinese adolescents

Digital mindfulness-based interventions (d-MBIs) have garnered significant research interest in recent years due to their psychological benefits. However, little is known about their impact on prosocial behaviors. This study investigates how d-MBIs impact prosocial behaviors where time spent is money, with Chinese adolescents as the subjects, through an online charity task (www.freerice.com). 119 students from a high school in China, who were inexperienced with mindfulness meditation, participated in this randomized controlled trial. The d-MBI group (N = 39) received online MBI guidance, while the face-to-face mindfulness-based intervention (f-MBI, N = 43) group underwent mindfulness intervention under personal tutors. The active control group (N = 37) completed a crossword task. Data analysis first involved repeated measures variance analysis, including pre-and post-intervention assessments. Subsequently, a two-way variance analysis was performed, with gender (female and male) and group (d-MBI, f-MBI, active control) as independent variables and the number of grains as dependent variables for the three groups of participants. Results showed that d-MBIs effectively improved empathy and compassion in Chinese adolescents, leading to increased rice donations to the United Nations World Food Program. These results underscore the positive effect of d-MBIs on prosociality and suggest their applicability in beneficial real-world situations involving prosocial behaviors, extending beyond previous research primarily conducted in artificial and hypothetical scenarios.

Mediating role of resilience in the relationships of physical activity and mindful self-awareness with peace of mind among college students

Peace of mind (PoM) is an index of mental health in Asian culture and emphasizes low arousal, happiness, harmony, and an internal state of peacefulness. While previous studies have found that mindful self-awareness can contribute to PoM, regular physical activity (PA) is also an important factor contributing to one's PoM due to its function in promoting one's resilience. The study aims to investigate a hypothetical model that assumes PA is associated with resilience while controlling for mindful self-awareness, contributing to PoM. The PoM scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Chinese translation of Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and PA self-report questionnaire were used. A path analysis was applied to test the association between these variables and the mediating role of resilience. A total of 436 students from a university in Taiwan were recruited; the mean age was 20.87, with 46.3% female and 73.6% engaging in over 150 min/week of moderate PA. Gender and age negatively correlated with PA. After controlling for age and gender, there was no direct effect of physical activity on PoM; both mindful self-awareness and PA predict resilience, which in turn predicts PoM, suggesting that both cognitive (i.e., mindful self-awareness) and PA are important to cultivate resilience and thus PoM.

Distress, Social Support, and Self-Compassion: Relationships With Mental Health Among College Students

This study investigated how distress, conceptualized as an interaction between hassles and stress perceptions, related to mental health, whether the type of distress (social or nonsocial) was consequential, and whether perceived support and self-compassion attenuated these relationships. Students (N = 185) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey. Survey questions pertained to hassles and stress perceptions, mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, happiness, and love of life), perceived social support, and self-compassion. As predicted, students reporting more hassles and stress (both social and nonsocial) as well as those reporting less support and self-compassion, were worse off regarding mental illness and mental wellness. This was observed for both social and nonsocial distress. Although we did not support our hypotheses regarding buffering effects, we found perceived support and self-compassion are beneficial, regardless of hassles and stress levels. We discuss implications for students' mental health and ideas for future research.

Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Self-Compassion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

This systematic review aims to estimate the extent to which childhood maltreatment influences self-compassion in later life.

METHOD

Four English databases (Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and PsycARTICLES) and three Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Weipu) were systematically searched. We extracted data related to the associations between child maltreatment and self-compassion and pooled them using random effect models.

FINDINGS

A total of 20 eligible studies were included involving 6,877 participants in the analyses. Overall child maltreatment was negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.28, p < .001); emotional abuse and neglect were negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.28, p < .01; r = -.31, p < .01, respectively) at a moderate level; and physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect were negatively related to self-compassion (r = -.12, p < .01; r = -.10, p < .01; and r = -.22, p < .001, respectively) at a small level.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that overall and subtypes of maltreatment are associated with decreased self-compassion, and child intervention programs focused on self-compassion should be designed to protect the well-being of individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.

A classroom-based pilot of a self-compassion intervention to increase wellbeing in early adolescents

A Classroom-Based Pilot of a Self-Compassion Intervention to Increase Wellbeing in Early adolescents Abstract Objective:  Our first aim was to examine the effect of a 4-week self-compassion-based intervention on emotional well-being in a school classroom of early adolescents. The second aim was to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the program within a classroom setting.  Design:  This study was a pre-post pilot design utilizing paired sample  t -tests to examine within-person changes in the outcome measures prior to, and following, the intervention. Bivariate correlations were also used to assess covariation between the pre-to-post change scores in self-compassion and the pre-to-post change scores in the outcome measures.

SETTING

 The intervention was conducted during a wellbeing class at a culturally diverse secondary school.

PARTICIPANTS

 The sample comprised 18 students aged 12- to 14-years old ( M age  = 12.44,  SD  = 0.61).  Intervention:  A brief self-compassion-based program, Be Kind to Yourself, Inspire Others, was developed specifically for early adolescents and delivered across four 70- minute lessons.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The outcome measures were self-compassion, resilience, perceived stress, social and general anxiety, and peer and school connectedness.

RESULTS

 Findings revealed significant increases in self-compassion, resilience, and peer connectedness, and significant decreases in social and general anxiety at posttest, with small to medium effect sizes (Hedges'  g =  0.30-0.67). No significant differences were found for perceived stress and school connectedness. Pre-to-post changes in self-compassion covaried with pre-to-post changes in resilience and peer connectedness. Feasibility and acceptability were high. Findings suggest that a brief, classroom-based self-compassion intervention may be feasible and effective in improving indicators of emotional well-being among early adolescents.

The effect of explicit and implicit online self-compassion interventions on sleep quality among Chinese adults: A longitudinal and diary study

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit online intervention methods for self-compassion on improving sleep quality among Chinese adults.

Methods

A total of 328 adult participants were recruited to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire and Self-compassion Scale, and 168 participants were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions: two self-compassion intervention groups (self-compassion writing intervention asked participants to write several sentences with self-compassion, and self-compassion combination intervention asked participants to combine words into complete sentences with self-compassion) and one control group. After 1 week of online self-compassion intervention with daily sleep quality measured simultaneously, 150 participants completed the posttest of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire and Self-Compassion Scale.

Results

The pretest and posttests results showed that the self-compassion level and sleep quality of the self-compassion writing intervention group were significantly better than those of the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the self-compassion combination intervention group and the control group. For the diary tracking results, sleep quality was significantly better for both the self-compassion writing intervention group and self-compassion combination intervention group than the control group, however, the self-compassion writing intervention group showed great improvements.

Conclusion

Both self-compassion writing and combination interventions were effective in improving sleep quality, and the effect of self-compassion writing was more stable.

Be Kind to Yourself: the Implications of Momentary Self-Compassion for Affective Dynamics and Well-Being in Daily Life

Objectives

While self-compassion (SC) has mostly been understood as a stable trait-like property, growing evidence suggests that it may fluctuate over time within a given individual. However, little is known on how these fluctuations relate to affective well-being and affective dynamics, such as emotional inertia and stress reactivity in daily life.

Methods

A sample of 119 non-clinical individuals (mean age: 31.3 years, 53.8% female) completed a 7-day smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment study with six semi-random signals per day. With each signal, individuals reported their momentary positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), recent SC, and occurrence and perceived strain of daily hassles since the last signal.

Results

Whenever individuals reported higher recent SC than usual, they experienced higher momentary PA and lower momentary NA. Moreover, higher recent SC related to lower stress reactivity in terms of lower decrease of PA and lower increase of NA following the experience of daily hassles. No associations between SC and emotional inertia were found. When distinguishing between the positive components (SC-Pos) and negative components (SC-Neg) of SC, SC-Neg (compared to SC-Pos) was more strongly connected to NA, while SC-Pos and SC-Neg were similarly connected to PA. SC-Pos was associated with an attenuated NA stress reactivity, and SC-Neg with an increased NA stress reactivity. SC-Pos and SC-Neg did not significantly moderate PA stress reactivity nor emotional inertia.

Conclusions

Results show that the benefits of SC for well-being and stress reactivity may unfold whenever we treat ourselves with compassion, irrespective of how self-compassionate we are in general.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-02050-y.

Feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Making Friends with Yourself intervention on a college campus

Objective: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of Making Friends with Yourself (MFY): A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens and Young Adults with a sample of college students. A secondary objective was to explore changes in psychosocial outcomes. Participants: Twenty-five students (23 females; mean age 20.35 years) enrolled in the 8-week intervention. Methods: Feasibility was measured by attendance and retention of participants; acceptability was determined through analysis of focus group data. Psychosocial outcomes were assessed through analyses of pre- and post-intervention measures. Results: The intervention was feasible as 20 students attended at least seven of eight classes, and 21 completed the program. Students found the intervention acceptable and reported significant increases in mindfulness and self-compassion and decreased perceived stress from pre- to post-intervention. However, academic stress increased. Conclusions: MFY may be a feasible and acceptable program to offer to college students. Further piloting in college student populations is recommended.

Psychological maltreatment and adolescent internet harassment perpetration: The mediating role of deviant peer affiliation and the moderating role of self-compassion

BACKGROUND

Psychological maltreatment has been regarded as a risk factor for adolescent internet harassment. However, previous studies failed to take family, peer, and individual factors into account comprehensively when comes to adolescent internet harassment perpetration.

OBJECTIVE

Based on the Social-Ecological Diathesis-Stress Model, the present study established a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediating role of deviant peer affiliation in the association between psychological maltreatment and adolescent internet harassment perpetration, as well as the moderating role of self-compassion.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 1,592 Chinese adolescents (51.07 % girls, M_age = 13.23 years) participated in the current study.

METHOD

The participants completed questionnaires regarding demographics, psychological maltreatment, internet harassment perpetration, deviant peer affiliation, and self-compassion.

RESULTS

Psychological maltreatment was positively related to adolescent internet harassment perpetration. Mediation analyses revealed that deviant peer affiliation partially mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.14, 95 % CI = [0.09, 0.20]). Moderated mediation analyses further indicated that self-compassion not only moderated the link between psychological maltreatment and adolescent internet harassment perpetration, with the effect being significant only for adolescents with low levels of self-compassion, but also moderated the indirect association between psychological maltreatment and internet harassment perpetration via deviant peer affiliation, with the association being much more potent for adolescents with low levels of self-compassion.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of considering multiple circumstantial and individual factors to understand the development of adolescents' externalizing problems.

Dynamic changes in perfectionism dimensions and psychological distress among adolescents assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

This prospective longitudinal study evaluated changes in psychological distress among adolescents, pre-pandemic to intra-pandemic, the extent to which within-person and between-person differences in trait multidimensional perfectionism were associated with such changes, and the role of stress in explaining associations between perfectionism and psychological distress. Adolescents (N = 187; 80% female; 78% White, 7% Asian Canadian, 2% Indigenous Peoples in Canada, 2% Black or African Canadian, 2% Latin Canadian, or 9% Other; M_age  = 17.96 years) completed online surveys assessing perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism), depression, anxiety, and stress pre-pandemic (i.e., March 12, 2020 or earlier) and during Ontario, Canada's first (i.e., March 13, 2020 to July 24, 2020) and second (December 26, 2020 to February 7, 2021) government-mandated lockdowns. Between-person differences and within-person changes in multidimensional trait perfectionism were associated with increases in psychological distress and perceived stress. Perceived stress served as an intermediary pathway linking multidimensional trait perfectionism to psychological distress during the pandemic.

In the shadow of COVID-19: A randomized controlled online ACT trial promoting adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion

Background

Although some adolescents managed to cope well with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of many was adversely affected due to school closures, distance education, restrictions on gathering with friends, and limited access to mental health services. Many adolescents reported increased anxiety and depression as well as decreased psychological wellbeing due to the pandemic. Consequently, there is a need for psychological support that exceeds the strained resources available to schools to support young people during times of crisis and societal pressure.

Objective

The present study aimed to explore the effects of an online-delivered ACT intervention to promote adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion and decrease psychological distress during the second wave of COVID-19 in the fall of 2020.

Methods

A total of 348 adolescents aged 15-16 were randomly divided into three equal groups: 1) the iACT student coach + virtual coach group, n = 116; 2) the iACT virtual coach group, n = 116; and 3) the control group with no intervention, n = 116). Among these adolescents, 234 participated in a pre-measurement (iACT, n = 154; control, n = 80; intent-to-treat) and completed measures of psychological flexibility, self-compassion, anxiety, and depression.

Results

An investigation of all the adolescents who participated in the pre-measurement (intent-to-treat analysis, n = 234) revealed no significant differences between the three groups with regard to psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, upon combining the two intervention groups and examining the adolescents who completed at least 30% of the Youth Compass program (per-protocol analysis, n = 137), small but significant differences between the iACT intervention and control groups were found regarding the psychological flexibility subscale valued action, self-compassion, and anxiety in favor of the intervention group.

Conclusions

Active use of an ACT-based online intervention under adverse circumstances may decrease symptoms of anxiety and increase psychological flexibility skills in adolescents.

Gender Felt Pressure, Affective Domains, and Mental Health Outcomes among Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review with Developmental and Clinical Implications

Although capable of mobilizing significant resilience factors to face stigma and discrimination, transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents tend to suffer from more adverse mental health outcomes compared to their cisgender counterparts. The minority stressors that this population faces are mainly due to the gender-based pressure to conform to their assigned gender. This systematic review was aimed at assessing the potential mental health issues that affect the TGD population. The literature search was conducted in three databases; namely, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, based on the PRISMA guidelines. The 33 articles included in the systematic review pointed out how TGD children and adolescents experience high levels of anxiety and depression, as well as other emotional and behavioral problems, such as eating disorders and substance use. Resilience factors have been also pointed out, which aid this population in facing these negative mental health outcomes. The literature review highlighted that, on the one hand, TGD individuals appear to exhibit high levels of resilience; nonetheless, health disparities exist for TGD individuals compared with the general population, which are mainly attributable to the societal gender pressure to conform to their assigned gender. Considerations for research and clinical practice are provided.

What helps distressed Australian adolescents impacted by cancer? Mechanisms of improvement of the PEER program

PEER is a four-day residential program for adolescents impacted by their own or a relative's cancer, with both psychosocial (acceptance and commitment therapy, self-compassion) and recreational components. This study aimed to determine whether previously observed improvements in quality of life amongst highly distressed participants were mediated by improvements in processes targeted by psychotherapeutic elements of the program (psychological flexibility, mindfulness, self-compassion, peer support, distress). Adolescents attending PEER completed surveys assessing the quality of life and proposed mediator variables at pre-program, post-program and two-month follow-up. Adolescents experiencing high/very high levels of baseline distress (n = 52; 5 patients/survivors, 31 siblings/offspring, 13 bereaved siblings/offspring) were previously identified as experiencing clinically significant improvements in psychosocial well-being; here, mediation analyses explored whether these improvements were associated with improvements in process variables. Findings evidenced improvements in quality of life amongst distressed PEER participants, mediated by increases in psychological flexibility and self-compassion, and reductions in distress. Peer support and mindfulness were not significant mediators. Together, this suggests that the psychosocial benefits of PEER observed for highly distressed adolescents are linked to the specific therapeutic approaches used in the program, rather than being non-specific effects of peer connection or recreation. Findings from this evaluation provide further evidence for the efficacy and mechanisms of the effect of PEER for supporting distressed adolescents impacted by cancer. The study also demonstrates the viability and utility of the therapeutic approaches (acceptance and commitment therapy, self-compassion) used, showing that they have psychosocial benefits for this population.

Within-Person variations in mindfulness mediate effects of daily stressors on psychological distress in adolescence

OBJECTIVE

We tested two competing models linking daily stress, mindfulness, and psychological distress in adolescence: 1) whether daily mindfulness moderates the impact of daily stressors on psychological distress or 2) whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between greater daily stressors and psychological distress.

METHODS

Every evening for a week, 138 adolescents completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs). Daily diaries assessed negative events, work-school conflict, mindfulness, and perceived stress. Multilevel mediation and moderation were tested.

RESULTS

Results indicated that there were meaningful variations in adolescent mindfulness from day-to-day, and supported mediation rather than moderation; the within-person association between stressors and psychological distress was mediated by mindfulness at the daily level.

CONCLUSION

It may be too challenging for adolescents to remain in a mindful state during stress to effectively use mindfulness as a buffer. Instead, daily stressors may indirectly impact psychological distress through decreasing mindfulness.

Child Maltreatment and Subjective Well-being in Chinese Emerging Adults: A Process Model Involving Self-esteem and Self-compassion

Child maltreatment is negatively associated with subjective well-being in emerging adulthood, but the understanding of the mechanisms of this relationship is incomplete. Guided by the stress process model incorporated with a life-course perspective, the present study examined the protective roles of self-related resources (self-esteem and self-compassion) in this association, while considering various maltreatment types (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Self-compassion Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to measure the key variables through an online survey of 358 Chinese college students (226 females, mean age = 19.18) Direct effect of one type of maltreatment on life satisfaction and the three indirect effects through (a) self-esteem; (b) self-compassion; and (c) self-esteem and self-compassion in sequence were examined while controlling for age, gender, and the other four maltreatment types. The results showed that psychological maltreatment was negatively associated with life satisfaction through self-esteem and through the pathway from self-esteem to self-compassion. Indirect effects of the other three types of maltreatment were not significant. This suggests that self-processes are more vulnerable to psychological maltreatment than to other maltreatment types. The type of maltreatment experienced in childhood is worth considering when investigating the extending effect of child maltreatment on individual developmental outcomes. Our findings broaden the understanding of the mechanisms of the stress process model integrated with a life-course perspective. Self-related resources appear to play substantial roles in the long-term association between early stressors of psychological maltreatment in childhood and subjective well-being in emerging adulthood. Highlighting the need to work on improved self-related resources, including self-compassion and self-esteem, might help practitioners to provide treatment for survivors of adverse childhood experiences..

Childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing: A moderated mediation model of self-compassion and curiosity

BACKGROUND

Resilience and positive mental health may be negatively influenced by childhood maltreatment. While many scholars have noted that adolescents exposed to childhood emotional abuse could meet the criteria for flourishing, little research has investigated the mediating effect of self-compassion and the moderating effect of curiosity on the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing.

OBJECTIVE

This study proposed and tested a moderated mediation model that attempted to explain the pathway from childhood emotional abuse to adolescent flourishing.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample consisted of 315 female students (mean age 12.81 years, range 12-14 years) in a girls' secondary school in Hong Kong, China.

METHODS

We conducted a three-wave study with six-month intervals. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires at school under the guidance of trained research assistants.

RESULTS

Self-compassion at Time 2 mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse at Time 1 and adolescent flourishing at Time 3. Furthermore, the mediating effect was moderated by adolescent curiosity at Time 1 and Time 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggested that although childhood emotional abuse may hinder the development of self-compassion, reduced levels of self-compassion and curiosity (especially the stretch dimension of curiosity) could work together to promote flourishing in adolescents with a history of childhood emotional abuse. The results lent further support to the developmental psychopathology and resilience perspectives in explaining the relationship between childhood trauma and positive developmental outcomes.

A multicomponent family support intervention in intensive care units: study protocol for a multicenter cluster-randomized trial (FICUS Trial)

BACKGROUND

Family members of critically ill patients face considerable uncertainty and distress during their close others' intensive care unit (ICU) stay. About 20-60% of family members experience adverse mental health outcomes post-ICU, such as symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Guidelines recommend structured family inclusion, communication, and support, but the existing evidence base around protocolized family support interventions is modest and requires substantiation.

METHODS

To test the clinical effectiveness and explore the implementation of a multicomponent, nurse-led family support intervention in ICUs, we will undertake a parallel, cluster-randomized, controlled, multicenter superiority hybrid-type 1 trial. It will include eight clusters (ICUs) per study arm, with a projected total sample size of 896 family members of adult, critically ill patients treated in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The trial targets family members of critically ill patients with an expected ICU stay of 48 h or longer. Families in the intervention arm will receive a family support intervention in addition to usual care. The intervention consists of specialist nurse support that is mapped to the patient pathway with follow-up care and includes psycho-educational and relationship-focused family interventions, and structured, interprofessional communication, and shared decision-making with families. Families in the control arm will receive usual care. The primary study endpoint is quality of family care, operationalized as family members' satisfaction with ICU care at discharge. Secondary endpoints include quality of communication and nurse support, family management of critical illness (functioning, resilience), and family members' mental health (well-being, psychological distress) measured at admission, discharge, and after 3, 6, and 12 months. Data of all participants, regardless of protocol adherence, will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, with the individual participant as the unit of inference.

DISCUSSION

This trial will examine the effectiveness of the family support intervention and generate knowledge of its implementability. Both types of evidence are necessary to determine whether the intervention works as intended in clinical practice and could be scaled up to other ICUs. The study findings will make a significant contribution to the current body of knowledge on effective ICU care that promotes family participation and well-being.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05280691 . Prospectively registered on 20 February 2022.

Mindfulness, disordered eating, and impulsivity in relation to glycemia among adolescents with type 1 diabetes and suboptimal glycemia from the Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change (FLEX) intervention trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between mindfulness and glycemia among adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with suboptimal glycemia, and evaluate the potential mediation by ingestive behaviors, including disordered eating, and impulsivity.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used linear mixed models for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and linear regression for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to study the relationship of mindfulness [Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM)] and glycemia in adolescents with T1D from the 18-month Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change (FLEX) trial. We tested for mediation of the mindfulness-glycemia relationship by ingestive behaviors, including disordered eating (Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised), restrained eating, and emotional eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire); and impulsivity (total, attentional, and motor, Barrett Impulsiveness Scale).

RESULTS

At baseline, participants (n = 152) had a mean age of 14.9 ± 1.1 years and HbA1c of 9.4 ± 1.2% [79 ± 13 mmol/mol]. The majority of adolescents were non-Hispanic white (83.6%), 50.7% were female, and 73.0% used insulin pumps. From adjusted mixed models, a 5-point increase in mindfulness scores was associated with a -0.19% (95%CI -0.29, -0.08, p = 0.0006) reduction in HbA1c. We did not find statistically significant associations between mindfulness and CGM metrics. Mediation of the relationship between mindfulness and HbA1c by ingestive behaviors and impulsivity was not found to be statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Among adolescents with T1D and suboptimal glycemia, increased mindfulness was associated with lower HbA1c levels. Future studies may consider mindfulness-based interventions as a component of treatment for improving glycemia among adolescents with T1D, though more data are needed to assess feasibility and efficacy.

The role of protective psychological factors, self-care behaviors, and HbA1c in young adults with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether protective psychological factors in young adults with type 1 diabetes are associated with more optimal self-care behaviors and HbA1c, and to explore possible mediators between protective psychological factors and HbA1c.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study examined the associations between protective psychological factors (optimism, positive efficacy expectancies, and self-compassion), maladaptive psychological factors (depression, anxiety, and stress), self-care behaviors, and HbA1c in 113 young adults (17-25 years) with type 1 diabetes in Auckland, New Zealand. Pearson's correlations, multiple linear regressions, and multiple mediation analyses were used to examine associations and mediators.

RESULTS

Higher positive efficacy expectancies (beliefs about coping with difficulties) were associated with more optimal HbA1c (β = -0.26, 95% CI: -1.99 to -0.45) and more optimal self-care behaviors (β = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.92) in the adjusted models. Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with more optimal self-care behaviors (β = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.43). Depression was associated with less optimal self-care behaviors (β = -0.35, 95% CI: -1.33 to -0.43) and stress was associated with less optimal HbA1c (β = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.21). Mediation results suggested that self-care behaviors mediated the relationship between all three of the protective psychological factors and more optimal HbA1c, and that lower stress also mediated the relationship between higher self-compassion and more optimal HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to the emerging literature that protective psychological factors may play an adaptive role in improving health outcomes in young adults with type 1 diabetes. Interventions targeting protective psychological factors present a promising approach to optimizing wellbeing and self-care in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Mindfulness, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms among women engaged in sex work in China

Women engaged in sex work (WSW) in China encounter numerous disadvantages (e.g., exposure to violence) and have substantial risk for psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Intervention literature has attended to mindfulness, which is a protective factor for psychological outcomes, and its influences can further improve physical health. However, mindfulness has not been well studied in WSW. We aimed to examine the association among mindfulness, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms among Chinese WSW. Data were collected from 410 WSW in Guangxi, China, using an anonymous, self‐administered survey evaluating demographics, mindfulness, psychological distress (i.e., depression, loneliness, and perceived stress), and somatic symptoms (i.e., pain, cardiopulmonary, and gastrointestinal/fatigue symptoms). Structural equation modeling was utilized for data analyses. Mindfulness was negatively associated with psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Psychological distress was positively associated with somatic symptoms. Psychological distress mediated the association between mindfulness and somatic symptoms. Mindfulness appears to be a protective factor for psychological distress among WSW, and such an effect is further influential to their somatic symptoms. Our findings add to the growing literature on mindfulness, suggesting that mindfulness‐based interventions could be beneficial for WSW. Future research should explore other cognitive factors underlying the psychosomatic mechanism of mindfulness.

The Psychometric Properties and Cutoff Score of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) in Chinese Primary School Students

To date, the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) has been translated into several languages, including Chinese. This study aimed to explore the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the CAMM and to identify the appropriate cutoff score among Chinese primary school students. A total of 1283 participants (52.2% males; 11.52 ± 0.78 years of age) completed a series of questionnaires to evaluate their mental health, including mindfulness, subjective well-being, positive youth development (PYD), depression, and anxiety. Item analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), criterion-related validity analysis, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, and reliability analysis were performed. The results show that the Chinese version of the CAMM had acceptable item−scale correlation (r = 0.405−0.775, p < 0.001) and was the best fit for the two-factor ESEM model (χ2 = 168.251, p < 0.001, df = 26, TLI = 0.910, CFI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.065, SRMR = 0.033) among Chinese primary school students. Additionally, the total score of the Chinese version of the CAMM was significantly associated with subjective well-being and PYD (r = 0.287−0.381, p < 0.001), and negatively associated with depression, and anxiety (r = −0.612−−0.542, p < 0.001). Moreover, a cutoff score of 22 or higher revealed a significant predictive power for all the included criteria. Finally, the Chinese version of the CAMM had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.826, McDonald’s ω = 0.826). Altogether, the Chinese version of the CAMM had satisfactory psychometric properties, and it can be applied to Chinese children.

Role of self-compassion and online/offline integration on internet addiction, aggression, and psychological well-being: A mediation analysis

CONTEXT

Internet addiction is known to harmfully affect psychological health. However, few researches have examined its plausible related factors and respite from its effects.

AIM

This study aims to examine the relationship between internet addiction, aggression, psychological well-being, and the mediating effects of self-compassion and online/offline integration, on them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 459 university students aged between 18 and 21 years were purposively selected from various disciplines and locations in India. Data were collected using an online demographic survey and standardized psychological measures.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) path analysis. Direct and indirect effects and path coefficients were observed using PLS structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The study indicated a possible influence of internet addiction on psychological well-being and aggression. It seems to increase aggression levels and lower psychological wellbeing. Online/offline integration and self-compassion partially mediated and dampened its adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Online/offline integration and self-compassion have a possibility to therapeutically diminish the ill-effects of internet addiction, lower aggression levels and promote psychological health of students who use internet extensively. This study provides a basis for further research to establish causal inferences.

"Effectiveness of Emotion Focused Training for Self-Compassion and Self-Protection in Individuals with Increased Narcissism"

"Objective: The goal of the study was to map out the effectiveness of a 14-day online intervention (EFT-SCP) focused on self-compassion and self-protection in people with an increased level of narcissism. Method: The research sample consisted of 63 participants, 19 men and 44 women, aged 21 to 70 years (M = 32.49; SD = 15.73). Participants were randomly assigned to intervention group (N = 32) or to the passive control group (N = 31). Results: The results indicate that the self-compassion level in the experimental group did not increase following the intervention. However, the same group scored significantly lower on self-criticism after taking part in the intervention. Conclusion: Short term online intervention was able to decrease self-criticism in subclinical population with increased traits of narcissism but was not effective in increasing self-compassion. It seems that in individuals with increased narcissism, it could take longer to develop kind and warm feelings towards self, connected to self-compassion. The process of decreasing self-criticism was effective and could be the starting point for further cultivating of self."

Long-Term Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Children Affected by Parental HIV: A 12-Year Follow-Up Study

The present study explored the trajectories of depressive symptoms over 12 years spanning from childhood to emerging adulthood and the between-trajectory differences in psychosocial adjustment among Chinese children (N = 492, 52.8% boys, aged 6 to 18 years at baseline) affected by parental HIV. Rebounding (12.6%), resilient (64.8%), and improving  (22.6%) trajectories were identified. Individuals in the rebounding trajectory reported the highest levels of psychological distress and the lowest levels of subjective well-being, positive self-regard, and personal strengths in adulthood. Individuals in the resilient trajectory reported lower levels of psychological distress and negative affect than those in the improving trajectory. The findings support the development of programs by policymakers and practitioners to improve the psychosocial adjustment of children who have been affected by parental HIV while considering individual differences in the trajectories of depressive symptoms.

Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Intervention on Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Depression in emerging adults (20-29 years of age), a transition from adolescence to adulthood, is a mental health problem globally. Antidepressants and psychotherapy have limited effectiveness and might not be available worldwide. Alternative and complementary treatments, such as mindfulness meditation, are growing. Objective: We examined the effects of mindfulness interventions on depression in emerging adults and explored the moderating effects of participants, methods, and intervention characteristics. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Subjects: Emerging adults. Interventions: Mindfulness meditation interventions versus control groups. Outcomes measures: depressive symptoms. Results: Forty-five studies resulted in 49 comparisons, including 3479 participants (23.0-2.7 years old); 1826 participants practiced mindfulness and 1653 served as controls. Overall, mindfulness interventions showed significant reduction in depression compared with controls (g = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.55). Mindfulness interventions conducted in Asian countries had a greater decrease in depression (g = 0.69) than studies conducted in North America (g = 0.44) or Europe (g = 0.23). Mindfulness interventions showed greater reductions in depression in studies with higher proportion of females (Slope = 0.010, τ² = 0.07, Q_between = 7.10, p = 0.008). Mindfulness interventions conducted in emerging adults with depressive disorders reduced depression more (g = 1.12) than in emerging adults without (g = 0.40). Providing mindfulness intervention in a group setting had a greater reduction of depression (g = 0.54) than on an individual basis (g = 0.30). More minutes of unstructured mindfulness practice per session showed a greater reduction in depressive symptoms (Slope = 0.016, Q_between = 1.34, p = 0.035). Using intention-to-treat analyses showed a lower ES (g = 0.14) than not using it (g = 0.55). Other quality indicators were not significant moderators. Primary researchers did not report the adverse effects of mindfulness interventions. Conclusion: Mindfulness interventions somewhat improved depression in emerging adults. Because primary researchers did not report the adverse effects, mindfulness interventions should be used with caution. Future researchers might study the adverse effects of mindfulness interventions as well as the long-term effects.

Improving Mental Health Among Transgender Adolescents: Implementing Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of an online self-compassion intervention for transgender adolescents, with the aim of improving mental health. Participants identified as transgender or gender expansive, were between the ages of 13 and 17, and lived in the U.S. or Canada. The empirically-based self-compassion program, Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens (formerly Making Friends with Yourself) was implemented in eight 1.5 hour sessions on the Zoom platform by two trained instructors. Surveys were administered pre-, post-intervention, and at 3 months follow-up, and qualitative data were collected through end-of-program interviews and open-ended questions on the post-survey. All protocols were approved by the university IRB. Quantitative data analysis included repeated measures ANOVAs, and qualitative data were analyzed via both inductive and deductive methods. Results indicated that all but one psychosocial measure significantly improved from pre- to post-intervention, which then significantly improved at 3-month follow-up; most other improvements were maintained at follow-up. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: virtual safe space; connection to body; personal growth; and recommended course changes and are discussed. Results suggest that self-compassion interventions can be incorporated into therapy programs to support and improve mental health for transgender adolescents.

Development of a Brief Group CBT Intervention to Reduce COVID-19 Related Distress Among School-Age Youth

School-aged youth have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the pandemic will likely have long-standing effects on the well-being of youth, and access to mental health care is even more critical during this time. For the past 5 years, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) has been working throughout the state to increase utilization of evidence-based mental health practices among K-12 school mental health professionals (SMHPs). By leveraging SMHPs who are widely accessible to students, TRAILS seeks to improve youth access to effective mental health care and reduce current mental health inequities. In March 2020, TRAILS responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing a group manual designed to be delivered virtually by SMHPs to help students develop effective coping skills to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. TRAILS focuses on promoting use of CBT and mindfulness, as these skills are ideally suited for school-based delivery, and thus the new manual, Coping with COVID-19 (CC-19), was grounded in these modalities. This article will describe the design, development, and deployment of the CC-19 program to address the mental health needs of students in the context of the pandemic. Early acceptability and penetration data will also be discussed.

Rising to the Occasion of This COVID-19-Impacted Nation: Development, Implementation, and Feasibility of the Brief Assessment-Informed Skills Intervention for COVID-19 (BASIC)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy, physical health, and mental health. This pandemic, like previous viral outbreaks, has resulted in spikes in anxiety, depression, and stress. Even though millions of individuals face the physical health consequences of infection by COVID-19, even more individuals are confronted with the mental health consequences of this pandemic. This significantly increased demand for mental health services cannot be easily met by existing mental health systems, which often rely on courses of therapy to be delivered over months. Single session interventions (SSIs) may be one important approach to meeting this increased demand, as they are treatments designed to be delivered over the course of a single meeting. SSIs have been found to be effective for a range of mental health challenges, with durable effects lasting months to years later. Here, we describe an SSI designed for the COVID-19 pandemic. This Brief Assessment-informed Skills Intervention for COVID-19 (BASIC) program draws upon therapeutic skills from existing empirically supported treatments to target common presenting complaints due to this pandemic. We discuss the process of developing and implementing this intervention, as well as explore feasibility and initial clinical insights. In short, BASIC is an easy-to-adopt intervention that is designed to be effective in a single session, making it well-suited for handling the increased demand for mental health services due to COVID-19.

Affiliative interactions and body and eating-related difficulties in adolescent girls: The effects of fears of compassion and feelings of social safeness

The need to examine the associations between emotion regulation and mental health and well-being among adolescents is increasingly recognized. Adolescence is a critical time characterized by increased vulnerability towards emotional struggles and difficulties, especially related with body image and eating behaviours. Thus, it seems particularly important to analyse the processes and mechanisms underlying the relationships between several risk factors (such as the lack of early affiliative memories) and body and eating-related difficulties, in this specific developmental phase. The current study intended to examine whether early affiliative memories are significantly associated with body and eating-related difficulties (i.e., body image shame and eating psychopathology severity), and whether this association is mediated by lower feelings of social safeness and increased levels of fears of receiving compassion from others. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 231 adolescent girls from the community, aged between 12 and 18, who completed self-report measures. Data were examined through descriptive and correlational statistics, and the adequacy of the model was performed via path analysis. Path analysis results revealed that fears of receiving compassion from others and low feelings of social safeness mediated the relationship between early affiliative memories and body and eating-related difficulties. The path model accounted for the variances in the following way: 27% of feelings of social safeness; 23% of fears of receiving compassion from others; 28% of body-image shame; and 54% of eating psychopathology severity, revealing a very good fit. These findings emphasize the relevance of assessing and working on potential processes underlying the adoption of disordered body and eating attitudes and behaviours, not only but especially in female adolescents with scarce recall of early affiliative experiences with close ones.

Self-compassion and the Mitigation of Negative Affect in the Era of Social Distancing

Objectives

The outbreak of contagious diseases and their associated non-pharmaceutical interventions can lead to negative mental health consequences. This study aimed to investigate online self-compassion exercises' effectiveness in alleviating people's negative affect (anxiety and negative emotions) during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Methods

Study 1 examined the associations between self-compassion and negative affect using an anonymous online survey. In study 2, two pilot experiments were conducted to examine online self-compassion exercises' (i.e., instructor-guided meditation and self-guided writing) effectiveness to mitigate individuals' negative affect. In study 3, a randomized controlled study was conducted to further examine online self-compassion writing's effectiveness in reducing people's negative affect.

Results

The results of study 1 indicated a significant negative association between self-compassion and participants' negative affect. Participants in study 2a reported significant decreases in negative affect after completing the self-compassion meditation. Study 2b showed that participants who completed the self-compassion writing reported significantly more self-compassion and less anxiety when compared to participants who did not. Study 3 showed substantial pre/post-test changes in participants who completed self-compassion writing. Importantly, there were significant increases in participants' self-compassion and decreases in negative affect when compared to participants in the control condition.

Conclusions

Self-compassion exercises were effective to alleviate individuals' anxiety and reduce negative emotions (even within a brief session) during the pandemic lockdown.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-021-01674-w.

Experiences and perspectives of self-compassion from young adult children of parents with mental illness

INTRODUCTION

In adolescents and young adults, self-compassion has been positively associated with wellbeing and negatively associated with psychological distress. One population of youth who may draw particular benefit from self-compassion are those who have parents with mental illness. This qualitative study explored the perspectives and experiences of self-compassion among a group of young adult children of parents with mental illness.

METHODS

A purposive sample of ten Australian emerging adults aged 18-25 years (3 men, 6 women and 1 non-binary person) participated in individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to examine and interpret participants' experiences and perspectives of self-compassion.

RESULTS

Participants described self-compassion as personally relevant and beneficial, although difficult to engage in. Some participants had learnt about, and actively practiced self-compassion, and offered advice for others. Conversely, others described self-compassion as difficult to practice and outlined barriers to self-compassion, from society and family life. Although participants identified common negative social conceptions of self-compassion, they articulated how self-compassion could be valuable for those who have parents with mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate the perceived importance of self-compassion along with barriers and facilitators of self-compassion for young adults who have parents with a mental illness. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are presented.

Mindfulness training on the resilience of adolescents under the COVID-19 epidemic: A latent growth curve analysis

As a preventive measure during the COVID-19 epidemic, we have had to stay at home for a long time. The lifestyle of adolescents has undergone severe changes. Almost every school started online education for the first time. Some adolescents have shown low resilience when faced with these changes. Most previous research has focused on mindfulness training and resilience by using cross-sectional or two-point tracking designs. However, little is known about the developmental trajectories of the impact of mindfulness training on resilience, particularly during this epidemic. Therefore, this study aims to explore how the developmental trajectories of resilience are impacted by mindfulness training. After administering the CD-RISC, we recruited 90 students with low levels of resilience in intervention group. Finally, 84 adolescents provided data at each assessment. At the same time, we selected 90 students in the control group. Paired sample t-test was used to compare every factor defined above by time. The result showed that mindfulness training increased students' resilience and emotional intelligence in experiment group. Then in the experiment group, latent growth modeling was used to (1) examine initial levels and changes in resilience over time and (2) predict initial levels and growth in resilience based on emotional intelligence. The findings of this study are as follows: during a mindfulness training intervention, (1) individual resilience tends to increase, and rate of increase grows gradually; there are also significant individual differences in the initial level and development speed; (2) individual emotional intelligence can promote the growth of resilience. With the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, more and more attention is paid to the mental health of students. The research in this article shows that mindfulness training program should be given increasing consideration in the future.

A feasibility and acceptability study of an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion program for adult cancer patients

OBJECTIVES

Psychosocial interventions that mitigate psychosocial distress in cancer patients are important. The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program among adult cancer patients. A secondary aim was to examine pre-post-program changes in psychosocial wellbeing.

METHOD

The research design was a feasibility and acceptability study, with an examination of pre- to post-intervention changes in psychosocial measures. A study information pack was posted to 173 adult cancer patients 6 months-5 years post-diagnosis, with an invitation to attend an eight-week group-based adaptation of the MSC program.

RESULTS

Thirty-two (19%) consented to the program, with 30 commencing. Twenty-seven completed the program (mean age: 62.93 years, SD 14.04; 17 [63%] female), attending a mean 6.93 (SD 1.11) group sessions. There were no significant differences in medico-demographic factors between program-completers and those who did not consent. However, there was a trend toward shorter time since diagnosis in the program-completers group. Program-completers rated the program highly regarding content, relevance to the concerns of cancer patients, and the likelihood of recommending the program to other cancer patients. Sixty-three percent perceived that their mental wellbeing had improved from pre- to post-program; none perceived a deterioration in mental wellbeing. Small-to-medium effects were observed for depressive symptoms, fear of cancer recurrence, stress, loneliness, body image satisfaction, mindfulness, and self-compassion.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The MSC program appears feasible and acceptable to adults diagnosed with non-advanced cancer. The preliminary estimates of effect sizes in this sample suggest that participation in the program was associated with improvements in psychosocial wellbeing. Collectively, these findings suggest that there may be value in conducting an adequately powered randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of the MSC program in enhancing the psychosocial wellbeing of cancer patients.