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A one-week online self-compassion training reduces self-criticism and pain endurance in adults with non-suicidal self-injury ideation: A randomized-waitlist controlled study

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Abstract

Objectives

This study examined the efficacy of a brief online self-compassion training in reducing explicit and implicit self-criticism, pain endurance, and inclination to engage in self-harm among non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) engagers and ideators.

Methods

Sixty-three adults reporting presence of self-injurious thoughts or behaviors in the past year were randomly assigned to either a one-week self-compassion training group or a waitlisted control group.

Results

As compared to the control group (n = 33), the training group (n = 30) yielded significantly greater reduction in explicit self-criticism after a single session (p = .013, partial η2 = .101) and significantly greater reduction in self-criticism (p = .001, partial η2 = .170), and pain endurance (p = .004, partial η2 = .130), as well as the explicit inclination to self-injure (p = .051, partial η2 = .063) after the one-week training. The reduction in explicit self-criticism (p = .006, partial η2 = .155) and inclination to self-injure (p = .04, partial η2 = .105) was maintained at the two-week follow-up.

Conclusions

The findings provide suggestive evidence supporting the use of an online self-compassion training in reducing self-criticism and pain endurance in NSSI ideators. This study supports the potential use of brief online trainings in order to improve accessibility and adherence of treatment especially for individuals suffering from highly stigmatized conditions such as self-harm.

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Data Availability

All data have been made publicly available at Mendeley Data, V1, and can be accessed at [http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/j6k24wcj7k.1].

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  1. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Block AS4, Level 2, 9 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore

    Sukriti Drabu, Oliver Sündermann & Ryan Y. Hong

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  1. Sukriti Drabu
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Contributions

S. D.: designed and executed the study, assisted with the data analyses, and wrote the paper. O. S.: collaborated with the design of the study, writing and editing of the final manuscript. R. Y. H.: collaborated with the design of the study, writing and editing the final manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

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Correspondence to Sukriti Drabu.

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All human subjects and study protocols have been approved by the National University of Singapore’s Institutional Review Board committee in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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All participants read and were carefully explained the Participant Information and Consent document approved by the National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board, and they all gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

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Drabu, S., Sündermann, O. & Hong, R.Y. A one-week online self-compassion training reduces self-criticism and pain endurance in adults with non-suicidal self-injury ideation: A randomized-waitlist controlled study. Mindfulness 13, 1232–1245 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01870-2

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