Effectiveness of attachment-based compassion therapy to reduce psychological distress in university students: a randomised controlled trial protocol

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Selene Fernández¹  Jesus Montero-Marin²  María Beltrán-Ruiz³  Mayte Navarro-Gil³  Marta Puebla-Guedea³  Yolanda López-del-Hoyo⁴  Javier García-Campayo⁵ 

[1] Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;Teaching, Research & Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain;Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain;Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain;Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain;Aragonese Institute of Health Research, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain;Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;Aragonese Institute of Health Research, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;

关键词: university students;    psychological distress;    compassion;    attachment;    mindfulness;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1185445

 received in 2023-03-13, accepted in 2023-08-08,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionHigher education, particularly university, is a challenge for many students that can lead to their mental health being seriously affected. The stress to which they are subject throughout their time at university can lead to anxiety and depression. “Third wave” psychotherapies, including compassion-based therapy, have been used to improve psychological outcomes, such as stress, anxiety, emotional distress and well-being. There are some signs that third wave psychotherapies reduce psychological distress in university students, but more and higher-quality studies are needed. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we hypothesise that the provision of attachment-based compassion therapy (ABCT) will be more effective than an active control group based on relaxation therapy for improving psychological distress in university students.Methods and analysisA two-arm RCT will be conducted involving 140 university undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University of Zaragoza and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) who reside in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Interventions with either ABCT or relaxation therapy will be implemented, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 between groups. Both interventions will last six weeks and consist of six weekly group sessions lasting 1.5 h each. Data will be collected before and after the intervention, and there will be a follow-up at six months. The primary outcome will be psychological distress at post-intervention. Secondary outcomes will be depression, anxiety, stress and burnout symptoms, affectivity and emotional regulation. Attachment style, experiential avoidance, compassion (for others/oneself) and mindfulness skills will be measured as potential mechanistic variables. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed using linear mixed regression models. The clinical significance of improvements will be calculated. Potential side effects will be monitored by an independent clinical psychologist.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragón. Participant data will remain anonymous, and results will be submitted to peer-reviewed open-access journals and disseminated via conferences.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05197595.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Beltrán-Ruiz, Fernández, García-Campayo, Puebla-Guedea, López-del-Hoyo, Navarro-Gil and Montero-Marin.