Cultivating the compassionate self against depression: An exploration of processes of change

IntroductionCompassion and self-compassion can be protective factors against mental health difficulties, in particular depression. The cultivation of the compassionate self, associated with a range of practices such as slow and deeper breathing, compassionate voice tones and facial expressions, and compassionate focusing, is central to compassion focused therapy (Gilbert, 2010). However, no study has examined the processes of change that mediate the impact of compassionate self-cultivation practices on depressive symptoms.AimsThe aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a brief compassionate self training (CST) intervention on depressive symptoms, and explore the psychological processes that mediate the change at post intervention.MethodsUsing a longitudinal design, participants (general population and college students) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Compassionate self training (n = 56) and wait-list control (n = 37). Participants in the CST condition were instructed to practice CST exercises for 15 minutes everyday or in moments of stress during two weeks. Self-report measures of depression, self-criticism, shame and compassion, were completed at pre and post in both conditions.ResultsResults showed that, at post-intervention, participants in the CST condition decreased depression, self-criticism and shame, and increased self-compassion and openness to receive compassion from others. Mediation analyses revealed that changes in depression from pre to post intervention were mediated by decreases in self-criticism and shame, and increases in self-compassion and openness to the compassion from others.ConclusionsThese findings support the efficacy of compassionate self training components on lessening depressive symptoms and promoting mental health.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Compassion Focused Therapy Groups: Evidence from Routine Clinical Practice

Behaviour Change ◽

10.1017/bec.2018.16 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 167-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

James McManus ◽

Zoe Tsivos ◽

Sarah Woodward ◽

Janelle Fraser ◽

Rosalyn Hartwell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Routine Clinical Practice ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychiatric Diagnoses ◽

Future Directions ◽

Adult Mental Health ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Compassion Focused Therapy ◽

Group Self

ObjectivesPsychological therapy groups for people in adult mental health services can relieve waiting list pressures and potentially reduce stigma and social isolation. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) focuses on shame and self-criticism. The aim of this study was to evaluate a transdiagnostic CFT group.DesignQuantitative and qualitative data were obtained from 13 people who completed the group.MethodsParticipants completed a range of pre- and post-group self-report outcome measures that assess self-criticism and self-compassion.ResultsStatistically significant improvements were found on all measures used, suggesting that attending the CFT group did result in meaningful changes. People who completed the group also provided positive feedback about the experience.ConclusionsThe results suggest that running CFT groups is feasible and acceptable to clients with a range of psychiatric diagnoses as part of their care from community mental health teams. People who completed the group demonstrated significant improvements. A proportion of people did not complete the group, and more research is required about the reasons for this. Limitations of this study are considered together with future directions for research into CFT.

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The impact of lockdown stress and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among university students in Germany

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-02024-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Antonia M. Werner ◽

Ana N. Tibubos ◽

Lina M. Mülder ◽

Jennifer L. Reichel ◽

Markus Schäfer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

University Students ◽

Social Stress ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Somatic Complaints ◽

Self Report ◽

Health Related ◽

Medium Increase ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic led to a shutdown of universities in Germany. In a longitudinal design, we compared mental health (depression, anxiety, somatic complaints) of university students in Germany before (June to August 2019) and in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020) and determined the impact of pandemic-related stress and loneliness on students’ mental health in self-report online surveys. We investigated 443 participants (mean age 22.8 years), among them 77% female, and 10.4% medical students. A small increase of depression mean scores was observed (F(1,420) = 5.21; p = .023), anxiety and somatic complaints have not significantly changed. There was a medium increase in loneliness from pre-pandemic scores to the pandemic situation (F(1,423) = 30.56; p < .001). Analyzed with regression analyses, current loneliness and pre-pandemic distress represented the strongest associations with mental health during the pandemic. Additionally, health-related concerns during the pandemic were associated with symptoms of depression [b = 0.21; 95%CI(0.08; 0.34); t = 3.12; p = .002], anxiety [b = 0.07; 95%CI(0.01; 0.12); t = 2.50; p = .013], somatic complaints [b = 0.33; 95%CI(0.18; 0.47); t = 4.49; p < .001], and loneliness [b = 0.10; 95%CI(0.03; 0.17); t = 2.74; p = .006]. Social stress due to the pandemic situation was associated with loneliness [b = 0.38; 95%CI(0.32; 0.45); t = 11.75; p < .001]. The results imply that university students represent a risk group for psychosocial long-term ramifications of the pandemic.

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Can lifestyle interventions improve Canadian men’s mental health? Outcomes from the HAT TRICK programme

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/daaa120 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Paul Sharp ◽

Sean Stolp ◽

Joan L Bottorff ◽

John L Oliffe ◽

Kate Hunt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Linear Models ◽

Self Report ◽

Lifestyle Interventions ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Depression Risk ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time ◽

Linear Trends

Summary Engaging men in mental health promotion can be difficult because of reticence about help-seeking, especially for gender neutral programmes. Developments in men’s health research has pointed to the success of gender-sensitized programmes to increase men’s engagement in healthy lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity and healthy eating; however, less is known about the impact of these interventions on men’s mental health. This study explored changes to men’s depression risk and health-related quality of life at post-intervention (12 weeks) and 9-month follow-up, after participating in HAT TRICK, a gender-sensitized lifestyle intervention for overweight men. Participants completed validated self-report measures of mental health at baseline, post-intervention (12 weeks) and 9-month follow-up. Men’s scores on the Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS) and the SF-12 questionnaire, including physical health (PH12) and mental health (MH12) composite scores, were analyzed using mixed linear models to assess linear trends. At baseline, men (N = 62) had a mean age of 50.98 (SD = 10.09) years and BMI of 35.87 (SD = 5.51) kg/m2. Results show that both the MDRS and the MH12 showed improvements in participants’ mental health, with significant linear trends (p = 0.003; p = 0.003) qualified with significant quadratic trends over time (p = 0.02; p = 0.03). There were no significant changes in the PH12 over time. Gender-sensitized programmes for overweight men, such as HAT TRICK, are a promising approach to positively influence components of men’s mental health, with the potential for sustained improvements over the long term.

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Examining the Effectiveness of the Fathers and Babies Intervention: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.668284 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

S. Darius Tandon ◽

Jaime Hamil ◽

Emma E. Gier ◽

Craig F. Garfield

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Home Visiting ◽

Child Outcomes ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Self Report ◽

Future Research ◽

Dyadic Relationships ◽

Post Intervention

There is increasing recognition of the importance of addressing the mental health of fathers, including during the perinatal period. Fathers exhibiting mental health concerns during the perinatal period are at heightened risk for future negative mental health outcomes and are less likely to engage in nurturing relationships with their children, leading to a sequalae of negative child outcomes during infancy and into adolescence. Although interventions have been developed for perinatal fathers, they typically do not focus directly on addressing paternal mental health. To fill this gap, we developed the Fathers and Babies intervention to be delivered to perinatal fathers whose partners (mothers) were enrolled in home visiting programs. A pre-post longitudinal study was conducted in which 30 father-mother dyads were recruited from home visiting programs. Fathers received the 12-session Fathers and Babies intervention while the mother concurrently received the Mothers and Babies intervention delivered to her by a home visitor. Baseline, 3- and 6-month self-report surveys were conducted with both fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers had statistically significant decreases in perceived stress between baseline and both follow-up time points, with moderate effect sizes generated for both sexes. No statistically significant differences were found for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or perceived partner support, although we found small effects for reductions in depressive symptoms among fathers, as well as increases in the percentage of fathers and mothers who reported high levels of emotional and instrumental support post-intervention. While preliminary, these findings suggest the potential for Fathers and Babies to positively impact the mental health of fathers in the perinatal period, and also signal the viability of home visiting as a setting for delivering this intervention. Future research should employ a comparison group to generate stronger evidence of intervention effectiveness and include measurement of dyadic relationships and paternal parenting practices.

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The Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Self-Reported Reading Difficulties in a Large Representative Population Sample

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)71224-6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

A.M. Undheim ◽

A.M. Sund

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Population Sample ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Health Problems ◽

Self Report ◽

The Impact ◽

Large Representative

Aims:The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships in early adolescence between self-reported reading difficulties (RD) and psychosocial and socio-demographic factors in a large representative population sample of 2464 adolescents (50.8% girls) with a mean age of 13.7 (SD: range: ) in Norway.Methods:Sub-sample: Students with self-reported RD; 7.5% (N = 191) of the total sample, 7% girls (N= 88) and 8.5% boys (N =103).Standardized self-report measures of depressive symptoms based on DSM-IV symptom criteria, (The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire), and on self esteem (The Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents) and attachment (The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment) were used.Results:Adolescents with RD were compared to classmates. In univariate analyses RD adolescents demonstrated higher levels of depressive symptoms, more school stress, had lower school grades and lower attachment to parents. They also scored lower on Global Self-worth and on Social Acceptance scales. Further, they reported reduced levels of psycho-functioning during the previous year because of mental health problems. They also had received more help and had used more medication for such problems.In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, receiving help for mental health problems and reduced psycho-functioning showed the strongest association with student RD status (OR=2.32 and OR=1.75, respectively). No gender differences were found.Conclusion:The study demonstrated important differences between adolescents with and without RD. Adolescents with RD might be more at risk for mental health problems than others.

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Impact of an educative program on dialysis patients’ knowledge and mental health: controlled before and after program

Education thérapeutique du patient - Therapeutic patient education ◽

10.1051/tpe/2018015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 20204

Author(s):

Laetitia Idier ◽

Aurélie Untas ◽

Nicole Rascle ◽

Michèle Koleck ◽

Maider Aguirrezabal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Vascular Access ◽

Educational Program ◽

Psychological State ◽

Control Group ◽

Dialysis Patients ◽

Emotional Change ◽

The Impact ◽

Experimental Group

Introduction:Psychological impact of Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) for dialysis patients is rarely evaluated since the focus of many studies is on medical variables (i.e., adherence).Objectives:The aims of this study were: 1) to estimate the impact of a TPE program on knowledge, depression and anxiety, 2) to examine change in knowledge as a mediator of the effects of a TPE program on mental health.Method:This study was conducted in three hemodialysis units and comprised two groups: an experimental group with education and a control group with routine care. The program was based of 5 educative sessions. Knowledge, depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed with self-reported outcomes measured before and 3 months after the program.Results:The sample comprised 125 patients. Knowledge about vascular access and nutrition (p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms increased in the experimental group (p < 0.01). Analysis of mediation showed that changes in knowledge about vascular access were a significant mediator of the effects of the program on depressive symptoms (F = 4.90;p = 0.01).Discussion:Knowledge acquired during an educational program could lead to an emotional change. Improving knowledge often leads to an awareness of the risks that can modify the psychological state of patients by reminding them of their vulnerability. This study shows that it is required to be attentive to the way of transmitting knowledge. It’s necessary adapting this transmission to the needs of patients and promoting the acquisition of psychosocial competence too.Conclusion:This study shows that knowledge acquired during an educational program can lead to an emotional change in the short term. A long-term follow-up of the population should be interesting to observe these emotional effects.

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A neuropsychological group rehabilitation program with institutionalized elderly

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.588 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. s235-s235

Author(s):

L. Lemos ◽

H. Espírito-Santo ◽

S. Simões ◽

F. Silva ◽

J. Galhardo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Randomized Study ◽

Geriatric Depression Scale ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Institutionalized Elderly ◽

Group Rehabilitation ◽

The Impact

IntroductionElderly institutionalization involves an emotional adaptation and the research shows that the risk of depression increases.ObjectivesEvaluate the impact of a neuropsychological group rehabilitation program (NGRP) on depressive symptomatology of institutionalized elderly.AimsNGRP influences the decrease of depressive symptoms.MethodsElderly were assessed pre- and post-intervention with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and divided into a Rehabilitated Group (RG), a Waiting List Group (WLG), and a Neutral Task Group (NTG).ResultsIn this randomized study, before rehabilitation, 60 elderly people (RG; 80.31 ± 8.98 years of age; 74.2% women) had a mean GDS score of 13.33 (SD = 9.21). Five elderly included in the NTG (80.13 ± 10.84 years; 75.0% women) had a mean GDS score of 10.60 (SD = 4.72). Finally, 29 elderly in the WLG (81.32 ± 6.68 years; 69.0% women) had a mean GDS score of 14.93 (SD = 6.02). The groups were not different in GDS baseline scores (F = 0.74; P = 0.478). ANCOVA has shown significant differences (P < 0.05) in GDS scores between the three groups after 10 weeks. Sidak adjustment for multiple comparisons revealed that elderly in the WLG got worse scores in GDS, comparing with elderly in RG (P < 0.01), and with elderly in NTG (P < 0.05).ConclusionsElderly that are not involved in a task get worse in depressive symptomatology. Being involved in a structured group task means lower depressive symptoms and being in a NGRP means even greater results.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Resilience, pessimism, and depression in undergraduates in Hong Kong during Covid-19: A cross-sectional online survey study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29117 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Min Yi Sum ◽

Sherry Kit Wa Chan ◽

Gloria Hoi Yan Wong

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Family Conflict ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mediation Analyses ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Adolescence and young adulthood is a period of heightened risk of mental disorders onset. The Covid-19 pandemic may have impacted the daily lives and learning of students, exposing them to risks of emotional distress. Understanding factors associated with individual differences in distress can inform remedial strategies for schools. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of Covid-19 on undergraduate students’ lifestyle and learning, and explore relationship between depressive symptoms, resilience, and optimism/pessimism bias in undergraduate students in Hong Kong. METHODS Cross-sectional online survey of undergraduate students in a university (n=1020) before and during the third wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong between May and August 2020. Changes in habits and family conflicts, depressive symptoms (measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9), resilience (measured using Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), optimism/pessimism towards Covid-19 risks, and knowledge about Covid-19 were recorded. Multivariable linear regression and mediation analyses were used to explore relationships with depressive symptoms. RESULTS 61.7% of respondents have mild to severe depressive symptoms. The regression model found that 18.5% of the variance in depressive symptoms was explained by resilience, pessimism bias, changes in sleep, decrease in study at home, and increase in family conflict. Mediation analysis showed that resilience is indirectly related to depressive symptoms through its relationship with pessimism (ab = -0.042, CI = -0.057 to -0.013). Higher resilience was associated with lower depressive symptoms even after accounting for resilience’s indirect effect through pessimism (c’ = 0.311, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the mental health vulnerability of undergraduate students. Measures to reduce family conflict, maintain healthy daily habits, adjust optimism/pessimism bias, and enhance resilience may be useful for improving the mental wellbeing of undergraduate students during the pandemic.

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SEPARATED KIN: RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION AND MENTAL HEALTH TRAJECTORIES OF OLDER ADULTS LEFT BEHIND IN RURAL CHINA

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3223 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S880-S880

Author(s):

Zhiyong Lin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Rural China ◽

Well Being ◽

Migrant Children ◽

Urban Migration ◽

Left Behind ◽

Rate Of Increase ◽

The Impact

Abstract As the processes of urbanization and globalization have intensified across the world, a burgeoning literature has documented the impact of emigration on the health of family members left behind in emigrant communities. Although the association between children’s migration and parental well-being is well documented, few have examined the health implications of children’s migration in the milieu of multiple children and further differentiated between children’s short-term and long-term migration. Therefore, I argue that it is not the geographic locality of a single child but the composition of all children’s location that matters. I further suggest that the impact of children’s migration on parental wellbeing is conditioned on the duration of children’s migration. Using a six waves longitudinal data (2001-2015) collected in rural China, this paper compares mental health (measured as depressive symptoms) trajectories of old adults (aged 60 and older) across different compositions of local and migrant children over a 14-year span. Results from growth curve models show that parents having more migrant children relative to local children experience a more rapid increase in depressive symptoms. In addition, older adults who have their most children migrate away for three or more waves of data have experienced the steepest rate of increase in depressive symptoms. These findings provide new evidence to support the life course processes of mental health disparities among older adults from the perspective of intergenerational proximity.

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When Words Hurt: Affective Word Use in Daily News Coverage Impacts Mental Health

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01333 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jolie B. Wormwood ◽

Madeleine Devlin ◽

Yu-Ru Lin ◽

Lisa Feldman Barrett ◽

Karen S. Quigley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Computational Linguistics ◽

News Coverage ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Data Set ◽

Affective Content ◽

Aversive Stimuli ◽

The Impact

Media exposure influences mental health symptomology in response to salient aversive events, like terrorist attacks, but little has been done to explore the impact of news coverage that varies more subtly in affective content. Here, we utilized an existing data set in which participants self-reported physical symptoms, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, and completed a potentiated startle task assessing their physiological reactivity to aversive stimuli at three time points (waves) over a 9-month period. Using a computational linguistics approach, we then calculated an average ratio of words with positive vs. negative affective connotations for only articles from news sources to which each participant self-reported being exposed over the prior 2 weeks at each wave of data collection. As hypothesized, individuals exposed to news coverage with more negative affective tone over the prior 2 weeks reported significantly greater physical and depressive symptoms, and had significantly greater physiological reactivity to aversive stimuli.

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