Gay Men
Conditions
Keywords
gay men, self-compassion, body image, mental health
Brief summary
This pilot study aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.
Detailed description
Gay men experience greater body dissatisfaction, a stronger drive for muscularity, and heightened body image concerns compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These issues contribute to minority stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, we aim to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBrief self-compassion intervention
Participants will be randomly allocated to the self-compassion group and the waiting list control group. The interveintion group will receive a 2.5 self-compassion training, and 3 week self-compassion writing exercise.
Sponsors
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
We will include a self-compassion intervention group and a waiting-list control group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* aged 18 years or above * self-identified as a gay man * sufficient comprehension of Cantonese * currently living in Hong Kong * able to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* currently experiencing psychosis * having an intellectual disability * experiencing current suicidal ideation * not currently receiving or engaging in regular mental health services in the last 3 months * participation in a similar study or receiving similar services in the past 12 months
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| self-compassion | From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month | Self-compassion will be measured using the 12-item short version of the self-compassion scale (SCS). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Almost Never) to 5 (Almost Always). The total score ranged from 12 to 60, with higher score indicating higher level of self-compassion. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sexuality-based stigma | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | Sexuality-based stigma will be measured by the 10-item Chinese men sex with men (MSM) Stigma Scale. Items are rated on a four-point Likert scale from 1 (never) to 4 (many times). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher score indicating higher level of sexuality-based stigma. |
| Internalized stigma | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | Internalized stigma will be measured with the 5-item revised internalized homophobia scale (IHP-R). Items are measured on a five-point Likert scale between 1 (Strongly Disagree) and 5 (Strongly Agree). The total score ranges from 5 to 25, with higher scores indicate greater internalized stigma. |
| anxiety | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | Anxiety symptoms will be measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of anxiety symptoms |
| self-esteem | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) will be used to measured self-esteem. Items will be rated on a 4-point Liker scale (1 = Strongly agree, 4 = Strongly disagree). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher score indicating higher level of self-esteem. |
| body objectification | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | Self-objectification will be measured using the Chinese version of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) - body-surveillance subscale. It consists of eight items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). The total score ranges from 7 to 56, with a higher score indicating a higher level of body surveillance. |
| sexual self-efficacy | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month | The 14-item Condom Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) will be used to measurement participants' sexual self-efficacy. Items will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (very unsure) to 5 (very sure). The total score ranging from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicated a higher level of condom use efficacy. |
| Body shame | From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month | Body shame will be measured using the Chinese version of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) - body shame subscale (McKinley \& Hyde, 1996). It consists of six items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree), with a higher score indicating a higher level of body shame. |
| Depression | From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month | Depression will be measured using the Chinese version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). The total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of depressive symptoms. |
Countries
Hong Kong
Outcome results
None listed