Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment

NCT07733531 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY000079391R01NR022445-01A1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 364
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can have serious and lasting effects on women's mental health and well-being. Chinese immigrant women in the United States often face additional barriers to obtaining IPV and mental health support, including language, cultural, and social challenges. There is a need for culturally appropriate interventions that improve access to care and address the mental health needs of this underserved population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment (SHE) intervention, a culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) program designed for Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the SHE intervention or an attention control program and will complete study assessments over a 12-month follow-up period. The results of this study will help determine whether the SHE intervention improves mental health and well-being among Chinese immigrant women experiencing IPV and may provide evidence for an accessible, culturally appropriate intervention that can be implemented more broadly.

Conditions

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV); Depression and/or Anxiety Symptoms; PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Keywords

Empowerment; Self-compassion; mindfulness; safety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Depression symptoms

  The instrument used will be the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.

  Baseline and 6-week, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups

• Anxiety symptoms

  The instrument used will be the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. The total scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.

  Baseline and 6-week, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups

• Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

  The instrument used will be the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. The total scores range from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating more severe PTSD symptoms.

  Baseline and 6-week, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Intimate partner violence

  Baseline and 6-week, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups

Study Arms (2)

The SHE intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention will consist of 6 weekly sessions. Session 1 is a phone discussion about an IPV safety brochure covering IPV information, questions from the Danger Assessment, safety planning, options, and available resources. It also includes immigrant-specific content such as immigration-related abuse, legal options for immigrants, and resources for immigrant survivors. Sessions 2-6 will focus on providing mental health self-care resources, with a specific topic assigned each week (Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindful Self- Compassion, Mindfulness, and Loving-Kindness). Each session includes a video introduction on 1 of our 5 topics, with accompanying audio instructions for exercises. The interventionist will guide participants to review the video at the beginning of each session and encourage them to practice the exercises presented in that session daily for 1 week.

Behavioral: The Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment (SHE) Intervention

The attention control group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the attention control group will receive six weekly educational sessions on nutrition and health, matched in delivery mode, timing, and frequency of contacts with the intervention group.

Behavioral: Health and Nutrition Program

Interventions

The Self-Compassion, Health, and Empowerment (SHE) Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will consist of 6 weekly sessions. Session 1 is a phone discussion about an IPV safety brochure covering IPV information, questions from the Danger Assessment, safety planning, options, and available resources. It also includes immigrant-specific content such as immigration-related abuse, legal options for immigrants, and resources for immigrant survivors. Sessions 2-6 will focus on providing mental health self-care resources, with a specific topic assigned each week (Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindful Self- Compassion, Mindfulness, and Loving-Kindness). Each session includes a video introduction on 1 of our 5 topics, with accompanying audio instructions for exercises. The interventionist will guide participants to review the video at the beginning of each session and encourage them to practice the exercises presented in that session daily for 1 week.

The SHE intervention group

Health and Nutrition Program BEHAVIORAL

It consists of six weekly educational sessions focused on nutrition and health. Each week, participants will view a video on a specific nutrition-related topic and complete a quiz/homework (e.g., food label identification, healthy meal planning). Reminder and check-in messages will be sent every other day via text messages to reinforce the content and respond to any participant questions.

The attention control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: Self-identify as a woman
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 or older;
• Self-identify as a woman;
• Self-identify as Chinese;
• Reside in the U.S.;
• Self-report experiences of any physical, emotional, or sexual violence from an intimate partner within the past year;
• Self-report symptoms of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

You may not qualify if:

• Those who cannot speak or understand Mandarin or English;
• Those with substance use, suicidality, or who have been in mental health care for severe mental illness.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Yang Li: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas, 78712, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Combat Disorders; Empowerment

Interventions

Health; Methods

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Social Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Population Characteristics; Investigative Techniques

Central Study Contacts

Yang Li

CONTACT

512-471-9075; yang.li@nursing.utexas.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The data analyst will be masked.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 24, 2026
• First Posted: July 29, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2030
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2030
• Last Updated: July 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

US (1)