About the study
The purpose of the study is to examine Compassionate Mind Training program as an intervention for psychological wellbeing and self-criticism. Compassionate Mind Training program is designed to assist individuals with high levels of shame and self-criticism by utilising compassionate mind training techniques. The study will assess the impact of Compassionate Mind Training program on mental health outcomes.
Dr. James Kirby will be conducting this study with co-investigators Lydia Chan and Hannah Dillman as part of the requirements for their Master of Psychology degrees at the University of Queensland, School of Psychology. Compassionate Mind Training program will be administered by Dr Stanley Steindl, a registered psychologist and trained Compassionate Mind Training therapist.
Details of the study
This study is a face-to-face group therapy program. It will be delivered across 8 consecutive weeks, with each session running for 2.5 hours. Participants will be required to complete online questionnaires at specific time points. It is expected that the questionnaires will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Assessment of suitability for the study:
- Once you sign-up, a researcher will e-mail you and gather preliminary information about yourself. You will then receive an e-mail asking you to complete an online questionnaire.
- When the first questionnaire has been completed, you will be informed about the group you have been allocated to and when the project will begin.
Intervention conditions and assessment:
- If you are eligible for the Compassionate Mind Training program trial, you will be randomly selected to take part in the intervention condition or the wait-list control.
- All participants, including the wait-list control, will receive the 8-week intervention; however, the wait-list control group will receive the intervention at a later time. This will involve a 3-month wait.
- Intervention conditions are completely randomized.
- For both conditions, you will be required to complete online questionnaires. The intervention group will be required to complete questionnaires at T1 (pre-test), T2 (post-test) and T3 (3-month follow-up). The control condition will be asked to complete the questionnaires at T1 (pre-test) and T2 (post-test).
- All questionnaires are confidential. To ensure this, participants will receive a unique log in via email at the required time points. This code will differ for each time point and for each participant.
Attending and participating:
- Sessions will run for approximately 2.5 hours each week across an 8-week period.
- Sessions will be conducted in a group of approximately 20 participants.
- Sessions will be held at the School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia.
Risks
- There are minimal risks involved with the intervention.
- Sometimes therapy can be emotionally uncomfortable. This is a normal part of therapy. Dr Stan Steindl is a registered psychologist with experience in mental health and Compassionate Mind Training program. If at any time you do not wish to continue with the program, you are free to stop participating in the study.
Confidentiality and security of data
- All data will be stored confidentially.
- Only members of the research team will have access to identified data.
- All data will be coded to protect confidentiality. Analysis and reported data will not be linked to any individual.
- The data provided will only be used for the research purposes of this study.
- All participants are required to sign confidentiality agreements to ensure the confidentiality of other participants within the study.
Participation and withdrawal
- Consent is required for participation in this study. This will be administered online during preliminary assessment.
- Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You are able to withdraw at any time without prejudice or penalty.
- If you wish to withdraw from the study, you can simply withdraw from attending. If possible, please let us know if you wish to withdraw at any time.
- If you do withdraw from the study, the assessment measures collected and any personal information will not be included in the study results. Your withdrawal will not affect your current or future relationship with the University of Queensland.
If you would like to learn the outcome of the study, please do so by stating your interest during the online survey.
Thank you for your participation in this study.
Ms Lydia Chan and Miss Hannah Dillman (Co-Investigators)
Masters of Counselling Psychology Students
School of Psychology