References | Type of study | Sample size | Intervention | Outcomes | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toole and Craighead [53] | RCT | Undergraduate women endorsing body image or appearance concerns n = 40 Intervention n = 40 Waitlist control | Self-compassion meditation training: first received training in-person in a lab, then were emailed a link each day to a self-compassion meditation training podcast; asked to listen to podcasts (20 min each) daily for 1 week in a private space, ideally at the same time each day, and at a time when they felt alert | SCS, BAS, RSES, Body Surveillance and Body Shame subscales of OBCS, BSQ, CSW-Appearance, practice frequency, acceptability | No significant improvements in total self-compassion scores or body shame and body dissatisfaction after intervention, but intervention groups showed significantly greater pre-post changes on body appearance, appearance contingent self-worth scales, and body surveillance vs controls. Results suggest that brief exposure to self-compassion holds promise for improving aspects of self-compassion and body image distress; has the potential to be an acceptable and cost-effective method to reduce body image distress |
Zeimer et al. [54] | RCT | Female undergraduate college students n = 51 self-compassion writing n = 50 traditional expressive writing n = 51control | All groups had to write for 20 min once/week (online) for 3 consecutive weeks Self-Compassion Writing: participants had to write about their body image and related experiences from a self-compassionate perspective (e.g., expressed understanding, kindness, and concern to themselves in a manner that a concerned friend may respond) Traditional Expressive Writing: participants had to write about their deepest feelings associated with their body image Control: participants had to describe the events of their day in a factual and detail-oriented way, focusing on information only rather than thoughts or feelings about the day’s events | BAS-2, Body Image Quality of Life Inventory, PANAS, 26-item Self-Compassion Scale | The self-compassion group experienced significantly greater increases in self-compassion (medium effect size) vs. traditional expressive and control groups; body appreciation and body image quality of life was mediated by self-compassion. Group differences were not significant for any other outcome variables (e.g., there were no differences between groups on positive body image or affect. All 3 groups had significant decreases in positive affect (small effect) and negative affect (medium effect) |