The Self-Compassion Online - Preventing Depression Trial

Summary

Purpose: Depression affects 12.6% of Canadians at some point in their life. Depression is associated with staggering personal and economic costs. There are several treatments that have been shown to treat episodes of depression when they occur. Unfortunately, more than half who respond to these treatments go on to re-experience an episode of depression. Even with psychological and pharmacological interventions designed to prevent future episodes, relapse and recurrence of the disorder remain alarmingly high. A patient-focused and self-directed intervention that harnesses the effects of an Eastern-influenced concept, called self-compassion, has shown tremendous promise in treating acute depression. Self-compassion is being moved by one's own suffering, and a desire to alleviate such suffering.

Objectives: In the proposed project, the investigators will examine whether a self-compassion intervention is effective in preventing relapse/recurrence of depression over a 12-month period among people who are at high risk for relapse. The investigators will also examine whether the intervention works to prevent depression by increasing the innate ability to bounce back from stress, a concept known as resilience.

Methodology: 120 participants with a history of depression will be randomly assigned to the self-compassion intervention or a self-assessment reflection condition, and their respective relapse rates will be examined over a period of 12 months.

Importance to Research: This will be the first study to examine the effects of self-compassion as a preventive intervention for depression.

Impact on health: If successful, this new intervention can be used by thousands of people in Saskatchewan and Canada who are at risk for depression relapse.

Conditions

• Depression

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Self-Compassion Step by Step

This is a 6-lesson self-guided audio program by Dr. Kristen Neff (2013)

BEHAVIORAL

Self-Reflection Active Control

Participants randomized to this active control condition will be asked to complete study measures at the same intervals as those assigned to the intervention condition. In addition to completing study questionnaires, participants in this arm will also be invited to reflect on their weekly reported symptoms, whether they experienced changed, what they believe these changes are attributed to, etc.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Amsterdam

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Oxford

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Regina

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Shadi Beshai, PhD · University of Regina

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

79 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-03-01

Primary Completion

2023-12-01

Completion

2024-05-01

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations