A Self-compassion Intervention for LGBTQ+ Individuals

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Status

Completed

Conditions

LGBTQ

Body Image

Self-Compassion

Mental Health

Treatments

Other: Mindful self-compassion intervention

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06691282

HE-RGC2024/NHS14

Details and patient eligibility

About

Gender and sexual minorities often face minority stress, leading to body dissatisfaction and potential psychological issues like anxiety and depression. Self-compassion has been identified as an effective strategy for managing emotions during negative experiences and may serve as a protective factor against minority stress and body image concerns. However, research on self-compassion interventions specifically for LGBTQ+ individuals is limited. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a self-compassion intervention to enhance body image and psychological well-being among LGBTQ+ individuals in Hong Kong.

Full description

Gender and sexual minorities often experience minority stress, which could lead to negative thoughts and feelings of their bodies. The substantial body dissatisfaction may contribute to psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. Self-compassion has emerged as an adaptive methods for regulating emotions in response to negative experience and perceived personal failures. Research indicates that self-compassion could act as protective factors of sexual minority stress and body image concerns. However, there is currently a lack of studies investigating the effectiveness of the self-compassion based intervention in improving body image and psychological outcomes among LGBTQ+ individuals.

The proposed study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a self-compassion intervention for body image and psychological well-being among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals in Hong Kong.

Enrollment

17 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Aged 18 years or above;
Self-identified as LGBTQ+;
Able to speak, read, and write Cantonese or Putonghua;
Willing to participate in the study and share their experience of the intervention with the research team;
Provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Current psychosis or intellectual disability;
Current suicidal ideation with intent (score ≥ 4) as measured using the Columbia suicide severity rating scale;
Participation in similar studies.