Self-Compassion
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and investigate a compassion-based intervention (Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) course) in medical students. The main objectives are: 1. Explore the feasibility of trial processes including recruitment, adherence, retention, and follow-up 2. Explore the experiences of medical students with the Compassion-based intervention, including perceived effects, barriers and facilitators to participation, suggestions for improvement 3. Determine potential effects on burnout, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, self-compassion, compassion for others, empathy, mindfulness, perceived stress, and emotional regulation. Participants will be asked to take part in a 6-week online Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities course and report changes in levels of burnout, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, self-compassion, compassion for others, empathy, mindfulness, perceived stress, and emotional regulation from pre- to post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up. Additionally, participants will be asked to take part in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences with the course, perceived effects, and suggestions for improvement.
Interventions
An online 6-week mindful self-compassion course with weekly sessions.
Sponsors
Robert Simpson
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Enrolled in first or second-year of the MD or MD/PhD program at the University of Toronto, 2. Over 18 years of age, 3. Able to speak, read, and write in English, 4. Willing to take part in the SCHC course for up to the full 6-week duration, 5. Willing to complete all study related questionnaires
Exclusion criteria
1\. Those already having completed a mindful self-compassion course or Mindfulness based-intervention (Mindfulness-based stress reduction or Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) within the past 12 months.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment | 4 months | The investigators will measure the number of participants eligible for and recruited to the study. |
| Retention | 4 months | The investigators will measure the percentage of participants who complete outcome data. |
| Adherence | 4 months | The investigators will measure the number of participants who completed the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities course. |
| Follow-up rates | 4 months | The investigators will measure the percentage of participants who complete outcome measures pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: Short Form | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures one's tendencies to engage in mindfulness practices. Answers are assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores representing more mindfulness. |
| Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) Version 5 | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures the positive and negative effects of one's compassion for those that they help. Includes with subscales for compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue (including burnout). Answers are assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores on the compassion satisfaction sub-scale indicating higher compassion satisfaction, and higher scores on compassion fatigue sub-scale indicating higher burnout. |
| Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures emotion regulation. Answers are assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Higher values indicate greater difficulties in emotion regulation. |
| Perceived Stress Scale-10 | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures one's thoughts and feelings pertaining to stress. The total score can range from 0-40, with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. |
| Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures how one typically acts towards themselves in difficult times. The total score ranges from a 1-5, with higher scores representing high self-compassion. |
| Relational Compassion Scale | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measure's ones tendencies for receiving and providing relational compassion. Answers are assessed using a 4-point Likert scale. Higher scores represent higher compassion for self and others. |
| The Brief Interpersonal Reactivity Index | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 3 months post-intervention | Measures the different ways that people may think about their lives. Answers are assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores representing higher empathic responsiveness. |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
Primary ContactRobert Simpson, PhD
Backup ContactClaire Zhang, BSc
Outcome results
None listed