None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The focus of this project is on improving mental health outcomes among Australian young adults (18-25 years) who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, and questioning or queer (LGBTQ). The main aim of the project is to determine whether participants in an 8 week self-compassion group program (MSC) report improved mental health outcomes compared to a group of participants on a waiting list. We expect that participants in the MSC group will show improvements in self-compassion and emotion regulation as well as reductions in self-stigma and symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress. A second aim of the project is to look at the relationship between those health outcomes to see whether the changes in self-compassion and emotion regulation lead to changes in depression, anxiety and stress. Finally, we will determine whether the program is acceptable to participants and the people delivering the program. To do this, we will conduct interviews with participants, program facilitators and peer facilitators.
Interventions
Mindful self-compassion training is an 8-week group program involving psychoeducation, group and pair reflective exercises, and meditation practice. These activities focus on cultivating mindfulness, becoming aware of barriers to mindfulness and self-compassion, such as self-criticism, and meditation practices such as loving-kindness meditation, self-compassion meditation, and interpersonal meditation practices. It comprises 8 weekly group sessions of 2-2.5 hours duration, facilitated by a train
Mindful self-compassion training is an 8-week group program involving psychoeducation, group and pair reflective exercises, and meditation practice. These activities focus on cultivating mindfulness, becoming aware of barriers to mindfulness and self-compassion, such as self-criticism, and meditation practices such as loving-kindness meditation, self-compassion meditation, and interpersonal meditation practices. It comprises 8 weekly group sessions of 2-2.5 hours duration, facilitated by a trained Mindful Self-Compassion facilitator. In the present study the program will be co-facilitated by a peer facilitator who is not a trained facilitator of Mindful Self-Compassion. The sessions will be delivered via videoconferencing software (Zoom). Both facilitators will receive supervision from a clinical psychologist. Participants receive the following materials: a workbook with outlines and key practices for each session (the workbook is part of the standard materials for the Mindful Self-Compassion program described in Neff and Germer (2012; nb the workbook is not publicly available), and audio recordings of meditation practices. A session attendance checklist will be used to monitor adherence. Participants are encouraged to complete meditation practice out-of-session however this is not compulsory.
Sponsors
Telethon Kids Institute
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants must be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual or other diverse genders and sexualities to be included in the study Participants must be 18-25 years old to be included in the study Participants must live in Australia to be included in the study
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they are unable to commit to completing at least 80% of course sessions Participants will be excluded if they have elevated suicide risk at screening, as assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale.
Outcome results
None listed