The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 5-week text message-based IE intervention on IE, while correcting for perceived stress (PS) and self-compassion (SC).

A randomised controlled trial.

Online, in Lebanon.

Adults (n 195) were randomised into one of three groups: the active IE group receiving IE-related messages with a practice exercise, the passive IE group receiving only IE-related messages and the control group receiving general health-related tips. Ten messages were delivered over 5 weeks. Two follow-ups were made: directly post-intervention and 7 weeks later. Baseline data and follow-ups included demographics, nutrition-related variables and measures of IE, SC and PS.

Results indicated improvements in IE scores in the two intervention groups (P = 0·05), with the passive IE group showing the most improvement. Also, a significant improvement in SC (Λ = 0·88, F (2, 63) = 4·40, P = 0·01) and reduction in PS (Λ = 0·86, F (2, 63) = 5·21, P = 0·008) were observed in the active IE group.

Text-messaging interventions might be efficient in enhancing IE. Results shed light on the need for further large-scale interventions that use visual aids and provide practical guidance to teach IE, while further characterising the relation between IE, SC and stress.

This study examined the effects of compassion-based intervention on mental health in cancer patients by using systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Eleven bibliographic databases were searched from their earliest data available date up to March 1, 2022. The databases were PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, WOS, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations, Airiti Library, and the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan.

Ten studies from 2015 to 2021 were included with a total of 771 cancer patients. Most were targeted at women with breast cancer. Brief compassion-based interventions of approximately 30 minutes were conducted by audio file, paper, and web-based self-guided writing prompts. Most were conducted after the completion of active treatment. Anxiety was the most measured outcome. Constructive compassion-based interventions with 4- to 12-week sessions were conducted by a trained facilitator. Most were conducted for patients who had undergone treatment, and depression was the most measured outcome. The meta-analysis indicated that compassion-based interventions had a significant effect of reducing depression and increasing self-compassion. Moderation analysis indicated that constructive intervention showed more benefits of increased self-compassion than brief intervention. Both face-to-face and non-face-to-face web-delivered formats had benefits for increasing self-compassion compared with the control condition.

Compassion-based interventions might provide an effective strategy for improving self-compassion and depression among patients with breast cancer. Suggestions for further research and health-care providers follow.

This pilot project replicated a self-compassion program to support health-care professionals in palliative care settings. We anticipated that undertaking this program would enhance participants’ psychological well-being.

Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from palliative care services in an area of Melbourne, Australia. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was offered online and comprised six once-weekly gatherings. Three survey rounds with identical questions were conducted prior to, immediately after, and 3 months after the training. The surveys consisted of 6 scales: the Self-Compassion Scale, the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale, the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Scale. Paired-sample t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance analyses were used to compare participant responses.

Nine participants working in palliative care completed the training and 3 surveys and included qualitative responses. The experience was overwhelmingly positive. Self-compassion (F = 14.44; p < 0.05) and mindfulness (F = 18.44; p < 0.05) scores significantly increased post-training, were picked up in a short time and endured. The emotional state improved by compassion satisfaction, showing a positive improvement 3 months post-training, along with there being no changes in compassion satisfaction, burnout, and dispositional empathy.

Participants all worked in a supportive environment, which encouraged self-care. Even against the pandemic difficulties, a short online program was effective, assisting participants to cultivate their inner resources in mindfulness and self-compassion. While a small sample size, expansion of the training may benefit the wider palliative care workforce.

The Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF; Raes et al. 2011) is composed of 12 items that evaluate the same six dimensions (Self-Kindness/SK, Self-Judgement/SJ, Common Humanity/CH, Isolation, Mindfulness/M, Over-Identification/OI) as the long scale (26 items). The Portuguese version of the SCS-SF (Castilho et al. 2015) was validated in a vast sample from clinical and general populations, the latter being composed of students, other than from medicine courses.

To analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the SCS-SF in a sample of Medicine/Dentistry students.

Participants were 666 Portuguese medicine (82.6%) and dentistry (17.4%) students (81.8% girls); they answered an online survey including the SCS and other validated questionnaires from the OECD Study on Social and Emotional Skills/SSES: Stress resistance, Emotional control, Optimism and Persistence.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the model composed of six factors, two second order factors (positive and negative) and one third order factor (total) presented good fit indexes (χ2/df=3.013; RMSEA=.0066, p<.001; CFI=.970; TLI=.948, GFI=.947). The Cronbach’s alfas were .892, .869 and .877 respectively for the total, self-compassion and self-criticism dimension. Pearson correlations of the SCS-SF total score, self-compassion and self-criticism dimensional scores were moderate to high with the SSES measures, from .272/-.236/.247 with Persistence to .709/-.634/.615 with Optimism.

Although reduced to less than half than the original SCS, the SCS–SF is a valid and useful alternative to measure general self-compassion and their positive and negative components in an ongoing longitudinal research with medicine/dentistry students.

No significant relationships.

Most people experience grief-related symptoms after losing a loved one. Approximately 9.8% of bereaved individuals’ symptoms persist over the first year post-loss, emphasizing the importance of research in prolonged grief. The role of self-conscious emotions in prolonged grief, such as self-compassion, state shame, guilt and pride has been proposed in previous studies.

Our aim was to examine the mediating role of state shame, guilt and pride in the relationship between self-compassion and prolonged grief.

This cross-sectional study collected data via online questionnaires based on self-reports (N=177, mean age: 42.26 years [SD=12.32], 97.2% women). Demographic and loss-related variables were measured, and further instruments assessed levels of self-compassion, state shame, guilt, and pride, and prolonged grief. Correlation and mediation analyses were used.

Two significant indirect effects were shown in the mediation model. First, lower levels of self-compassion predicted higher levels of state shame, which in turn predicted elevated levels of prolonged grief. Second, higher levels of self-compassion predicted higher levels of pride, which subsequently contributed to lower levels of prolonged grief. Guilt did not have a significant mediating role.

The results highlight the possible role of elevated levels of state shame and lower levels of self-compassion and state pride in the development of prolonged grief. It is important for researchers and clinicians to be attentive to the role of self-compassion, state shame and pride in grieving.

No significant relationships.

Unemployment is considered to be one of the most stressful life events that a person may experience. There are a plethora of studies that highlighted the negative effects of unemployment on people’s overall mental health and well-being. Yet, psychological resilience and self-compassion contribute positively in coping with stressful situations and seem to be particularly supportive mechanisms when one is confronted with unemployment.

This study intended to investigate the relationships between resilience, self-compassion and mental health in Greek unemployed people and the contribution of specific sociodemographic characteristics in this ‘equation’.

The study followed a survey design where a sample of 345 Greek unemployed participants completed an online questionnaire, examining the variables under study.

According to the findings, people who reported being unemployed for more than six months showed decreased levels of mental health. Also, the unemployed with higher levels of resilience and self-compassion reported statistically significant higher levels of mental health and vice versa. Finally, self-compassion and psychological resilience were found to be statistically positive related to each other and are predictive factors of mental health with which they are statistically negative related.

The results of this study may contribute to the implementation of interventions aiming at improving mental health and the overall well-being of people affected by long-term unemployment.

No significant relationships.

The evidence for the positive effects of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological well-being and physical health has been convincing in recent years. As a specific form of such an intervention, the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training program was developed to promote self-compassion and mindfulness. An initial study on an adapted version of the MSC training program considered it to be beneficial in psychiatric inpatient rehabilitation.

The present study aims to further evaluate the link between MSC and psychological symptoms as well as quality of life.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted from September 2020 to August 2021. A total of 228 patients (64% female, 36% male) participated in a six-week psychiatric rehabilitation program to assess the impact of an adapted MSC training program compared to the control intervention of Progressive Muscle Relaxation training (PMR) on psychological well-being. Both training programs took place once a week for 75 minutes as part of a standardized inpatient rehabilitation program. The participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), and the Short-Form-Health-Survey-12 (SF-12) pre and post intervention.

At the moment, statistical analyses are being carried out. Detailed results will be presented on the poster.

The results of this study will contribute to rehabilitation research as they provide further insight into the role of MSC in the treatment of mental disorders. In addition, the clinical implications, and possible effects of changes in the rehabilitation program during the COVID-19 pandemic on the protocol and the results of this study will be discussed.

No significant relationships.

Psychological maltreatment such as emotional abuse or neglect is a serious risk factor for poorer mental and somatic health outcomes in life. A higher rate of psychological maltreatment experienced in childhood is a predictor of aversive emotional states such as shame, and can negatively influence factors of mentalization such as perspective-taking capacity in adulthood. However, emotional abuse or neglect are also negative predictors of self-compassion.

The purpose of the study was to test two mediating models. We hypothesized, that reduced perspective-taking capacity, as well as higher levels of shame due to psychological maltreatment can be causally linked to lower levels of self-compassion.

We collected data from 120 healthy subjects (mean age=29.46, SD = 7.55) from Hungary We used Experience of Shame Scale, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Childhood Trauma Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale in our cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Psychological maltreatment is a significant negative predictor of self-compassion (b=-0,712; p<0.05), and shame seems to play a mediating role in this relationship (effect size= 0.231; p<0.05). Psychological maltreatment was not a statistically significant predictor of perspective-taking.

Our results highlight that shame has a central role between childhood traumatization and psychological well-being. In the case of early emotional maltreatment we have to focus on shame for higher levels of self-compassion and effective healing in psychotherapy.

No significant relationships.

Prevention programs that are ‘transdiagnostic’ may be more cost-effective and beneficial, in terms of reducing levels of psychopathology in the general population, than those focused on a specific disorder. This randomized controlled study evaluated the efficacy of one such intervention program called Resilience Training (RT).

College students who reported mildly elevated depressive or subclinical psychotic symptoms (‘psychotic experiences' (PEs)) (n = 107) were randomized to receiving RT (n = 54) or to a waitlist control condition (n = 53). RT consists of a four-session intervention focused on improving resilience through the acquisition of mindfulness, self-compassion, and mentalization skills. Measures of symptoms and these resilience-enhancing skills were collected before and after the 4-week RT/waitlist period, with a follow-up assessment 12-months later.

Compared to the waitlist control group, RT participants reported significantly greater reductions in PEs, distress associated with PEs, depression, and anxiety, as well as significantly greater improvements in resilience, mindfulness, self-compassion, and positive affect, following the 4-week RT/waitlist period (all p < 0.03). Moreover, improvements in resilience-promoting skills were significantly correlated with symptom reductions (all p < 0.05). Lastly, the RT-related reductions in PEs and associated distress were maintained at the 12-month follow-up assessment.

RT is a brief, group-based intervention associated with improved resilience and reduced symptoms of psychopathology, with sustained effects on PEs, in transdiagnostically at-risk young adults. Follow-up studies can further assess the efficacy of RT relative to other interventions and test whether it can reduce the likelihood of developing a serious mental illness.