Examining the Effectiveness of Self-Acceptance Group Therapy

NCT02121561 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UMississippi2014-0010
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 35
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

When people feel shame, they experience negative thoughts about themselves ("I'm a bad person") and urges to avoid others. Shame is related to many psychological problems, such as depression, social anxiety, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Because there are currently no well-tested treatments for shame, this study will examine the utility of Self-Acceptance Group Therapy (SAGT). SAGT is short-term group therapy that addresses shame specifically. Changes in shame, mood, and behavior will be examined over the course of treatment and a one-month follow-up. Based on theory and existing evidence, Hypothesis 1a is that individuals with elevated initial levels of shame will report improvements on all outcome measures (e.g., reductions in trait shame, increases in self-acceptance) from pre-treatment to post-treatment, and Hypothesis 1b is that these gains will be maintained at follow-up one month after treatment completion.

Conditions

Shame

Keywords

Shame

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in shame on the Experience of Shame Scale

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Changes in shame intolerance on the Shame-Aversive Reactions Questionnaire

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

• Change in mood on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Revised

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

• Change in interpersonal functioning on the Loneliness Scale

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

• Change in self-compassion on the Self-Compassion Scale

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

• Change in psychiatric symptoms on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale

  Baseline, Week 8, Week 12

Study Arms (1)

Self-Acceptance Group Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive Self-Acceptance Group Therapy

Behavioral: Self-Acceptance Group Therapy

Interventions

Self-Acceptance Group Therapy BEHAVIORAL

SAGT is an 8-week group therapy for persons with high levels of shame focused on providing psychoeducation regarding shame and self-acceptance and teaching skills for effectively responding to shame. SAGT is based on a cognitive-behavioral framework. Group members are taught how to recognize and challenge shame-eliciting thoughts, effectively discuss shame-eliciting topics with others, and build self-acceptance. Group members also complete weekly homework assignments that allow them to practice their new skills. All sessions include a review of homework and previously discussed concepts, introduction of new material, and in-session discussions/activities. The content of SAGT includes: defining self-acceptance and recognizing shame; increasing balanced thinking about oneself; improving social connections; increasing skillful interpersonal disclosure; challenging unhelpful expectations; handling setbacks; review and commitment to future practice.

Self-Acceptance Group Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Eligible participants will be adults (age 18 or older) who are fluent in English (as all materials will be presented in English) and report elevated levels of trait shame on the Experience of Shame Scale (ESS) at screening. Specifically, based on past research, individuals must score at least 55 on the ESS screening items, which is consistent with levels of shame often reported by clinical samples. In addition, all interested individuals must have a therapist/case manager/psychiatrist who provides them with individual psychotherapy on a regular basis and for whom the participant is willing to sign an Authorization for Release of Health Information.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals will be excluded from the present study if they do not report significant difficulties with shame (i.e. ESS screening item scores less than 55), do not have an individual therapist/case manager/psychiatrist who monitors and addresses their broader mental health concerns, are experiencing active psychosis (i.e. delusions and/or hallucinations), or are experiencing an episode of mania.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Mississippi Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, Mississippi, 39216, United States

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2014
• First Posted: April 23, 2014
• Study Start: April 1, 2014
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2015
• Study Completion: June 1, 2015
• Last Updated: July 2, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-06

Locations

US (1)