Evaluating the effectiveness of a self-compassion intervention to decrease state anxiety and increase state self-forgiveness and the role of trait self-compassion in this process.

Abstract

Abstract: Background. An effective and convenient intervention that teaches individuals to become more self-compassionate holds the potential to decrease anxiety and increase self-forgiveness. Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a self-compassion intervention to (1) decrease state anxiety and (3) increase state self-forgiveness over 7 days in comparison to a control condition and the role of trait self-compassion in this process (2, 4). Method. Participants in both conditions (Intervention 11; control 6) filled in questionnaires for trait self-compassion, state anxiety and state self-forgiveness at T1(day1) and state anxiety and state self-forgiveness at T2 (day 7). Participants in the self-compassion condition (mean age 23, 4 male and 7 female) engaged in the self-compassion Journal developed by Neff (2011) for seven consecutive days in comparison to a waitlist control condition (mean age 22, 1 male and 5 females). Results. State anxiety did not change significantly different between conditions (1). Trait self-compassion did not have an influence on change of state anxiety (2). A significant main effect for time on change of state self-forgiveness was found; state self-forgiveness increased under both conditions (3). Trait self-compassion did not have an effect on change of state self-forgiveness (4). Discussion. Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to low sample size and therefore low statistical power. Further research is required to get more certain and conclusive results for the effectiveness of the self-compassion Journal on anxiety and self-forgiveness.