Self-compassion Therapist-led Online Group Treatment for Adolescents With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression

NCT05448014 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: EtikDnr2021-04357CUST1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 42
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Distress, anxiety and depression are highly prevalent in school health care or primary care. Many of these conditions remain undiscovered and/or untreated. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is effective in the treatment of adults' distress and depression, and we will now evaluate the preliminary effect of a brief therapist-led online group CFT, feasibility, and acceptability in low-threshold distressed, anxious, and depressed adolescents. We use online group CFT to increase availability. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether therapist-led online group CFT is feasible and acceptable for the treatment of depression in adolescents between 15 and 20 years of age, in Sweden. The preliminary effect will be calculated to examine if a larger experimental randomized controlled trial is justified. Study design: A two-arm (treatment group vs. control group) pilot randomized controlled trial will be carried out with 40 adolescents. The effect, feasibility, and acceptability of the therapist-led online CFT in groups will be evaluated.

Conditions

Distress, Emotional; Anxiety; Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Perceived Stress Scale

  The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) measures perceived stress related to unpredictability, uncontrollability, and overload in daily life. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived stress. In this study, the total score was used for analysis.

  8 weeks

• The Subscale Anxiety in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children

  The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), Anxiety Subscale, measures trauma-related anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. The subscale includes 9 items rated on a 4-point scale from 0 (never) to 3 (almost all the time). Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.

  8- weeks

• The Subscale Depression in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children

  The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), Depression Subscale, measures trauma-related depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The subscale includes 9 items rated on a 4-point scale from 0 (never) to 3 (almost all the time). Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

CFT group intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Compassion Focused Therapy in Group on the internet

Behavioral: Compassion focused group therapy online

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Waiting list

Interventions

Compassion focused group therapy online BEHAVIORAL

Seven sessions of therapist-led online compassion-focused therapy in groups of 4-8 adolescents with mild to moderate symptoms of distress, anxiety, or depression. Trained therapists administer the CFT program in face-to-face meetings.

CFT group intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 20 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Symptoms of distress (≥ 22 in PSS) and/or
• Symptoms of anxiety (≥ 9 in subscale Anxiety in TSCC) and/or
• Symptoms of depression (≥ 10 in subscale Depression in TSCC)
• Adolescent giving informed consent
• Caregiver giving informed consent if needed
• Speaking Swedish
• Able to read and fill forms in Swedish without troubles
• At least one close and stable relationship with an adult
• Able to be in a group on the internet

You may not qualify if:

• Severe psychological problems that can be hindering for participation in a group treatment
• No close stable relationship with an adult
• Suicidal risk (4 or higher in item 12 in MADRS-Y, together with a clinical decision of active suicidal plans during the diagnostic screening interview)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Autism
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Current substance and alcohol dependence
• Current psychosis
• Current active psychotherapy
• Current deposit or withdrawal of antidepressant
• Prescribed medications for anxiety or depressive disorders do not exclude participants from the study, if the dosage had remained constant for at least one month.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Umeå University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Inga Dennhag

Umeå, 91136, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (17)

• 1. WHO (2019). Spotlight on adolescent health and well-being: Findings from the 2017/2018 health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) survey in Europe and Canada. In J. Inchley (Ed.), (Vol. 2).

  BACKGROUND

• 2. World Health Organization (2017). Depression and other common mental disorders: Global health estimates. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254610/WHO-MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf;jsessionid=5C6C365CE6CA46022D8AE57751200AE9?sequence=1.

  BACKGROUND

• 3. Jazaieri, H. (2018). Compassionate education from preschool to graduate school: Bringing a culture of compassion into the classroom. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 11(1), 22-66, doi:10.1108/JRIT-08-2017-0017.

  BACKGROUND

• Gilbert P. The origins and nature of compassion focused therapy. Br J Clin Psychol. 2014 Mar;53(1):6-41. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12043.

  PMID: 24588760 BACKGROUND

• 5. Gilbert, P. (2007). Psychotherapy and counselling for depression (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

  BACKGROUND

• Zeller M, Yuval K, Nitzan-Assayag Y, Bernstein A. Self-compassion in recovery following potentially traumatic stress: longitudinal study of at-risk youth. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2015 May;43(4):645-53. doi: 10.1007/s10802-014-9937-y.

  PMID: 25234347 BACKGROUND

• Kirby JN, Tellegen CL, Steindl SR. A Meta-Analysis of Compassion-Based Interventions: Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions. Behav Ther. 2017 Nov;48(6):778-792. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.06.003. Epub 2017 Jun 21.

  PMID: 29029675 BACKGROUND

• Bluth K, Gaylord SA, Campo RA, Mullarkey MC, Hobbs L. Making Friends With Yourself: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of a Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Adolescents. Mindfulness (N Y). 2016 Mar 1;7(2):479-492. doi: 10.1007/s12671-015-0476-6. Epub 2015 Dec 19.

  PMID: 27110301 BACKGROUND

• 9. Dennhag, I. (2021). Att lära om Self-compassion [eng. To learn about Self-compassion]. (pp. 66). Umeå Universitet, Sweden: Clinical Science.

  BACKGROUND

• 10. Welford, M., & Beaumont, E. (2020). The kindness workbook: Creative and compassionate ways to boost your wellbeing. London: Robinson Publishing.

  BACKGROUND

• Simon N, Robertson L, Lewis C, Roberts NP, Bethell A, Dawson S, Bisson JI. Internet-based cognitive and behavioural therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 May 20;5(5):CD011710. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011710.pub3.

  PMID: 34015141 BACKGROUND

• Stewart RW, Orengo-Aguayo RE, Cohen JA, Mannarino AP, de Arellano MA. A Pilot Study of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Delivered via Telehealth Technology. Child Maltreat. 2017 Nov;22(4):324-333. doi: 10.1177/1077559517725403. Epub 2017 Sep 4.

  PMID: 28868894 BACKGROUND

• 13. Umeå University (2022). REDCap - data collection in research studies (In Swedish: REDCap - Datainsamling vid forskningsstudier). https://www.aurora.umu.se/stod-och-service/it-och-digitala-tjanster/samla-in-data/datainsamling-forskning/.

  BACKGROUND

• 14. Umeå University (2022). Storing of files with high level of security (In Swedish: Lagra filer med högt skyddsvärde i Skyddade dokument). https://www.aurora.umu.se/stod-och-service/it-och-digitala-tjanster/dokument-fillagring/skyddade-dokument/. Accessed 2022-06-20.

  BACKGROUND

• 15. Umeå University, & Clinical Science (2022). Research Archive Clinical Science (In Swedish Forskningsarkivet Klinisk Vetenskap). http://foark.klinvet.umu.se:5000/#/signin.

  BACKGROUND

• 16. Blampied, N. M., Conference, N., & Wellington (2016). Reliable change & the reliable change index in the context of evidence-based practice: A tutorial review. https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/13399

  BACKGROUND

• Vestin M, Wallin L, Naesstrom M, Blomqvist I, Svedin CG, Beaumont E, Jokinen J, Dennhag I. Internet-based group compassion-focused therapy for Swedish young people with stress, anxiety and depression: a pilot waitlist randomized controlled trial. Front Psychol. 2025 Apr 1;16:1547046. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1547046. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 40236966 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Limitations and Caveats

This study has several limitations. It was a pilot RCT feasibility study with a small sample size and preliminary efficacy results.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Inga Dennhag, Associate Professor
• Organization: Umeå University

inga.dennhag@umu.se

+46706217414

Study Officials

• Inga Dennhag, PhD

  Umeå University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD, lecturer

Model Details: Study design: A two-arm (treatment group vs. control group) pilot randomized controlled trial will be carried out with 40 adolescents.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 20, 2022
• First Posted: July 7, 2022
• Study Start: June 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2024
• Study Completion: June 1, 2024
• Last Updated: May 30, 2025
• Results First Posted: May 30, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)