Efficacy of a Self-Compassion Intervention to Prevent Relapse and Recurrence of Depression: Fostering Trait Resilience to Disrupt the Cycle of Depression
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Depression
- Sponsor
- University of Regina
- Enrollment
- 158
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Longitudinal Interval Follow-UP Evaluation - Structured Clinical Interview (LIFE-SCID)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief 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.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •To be eligible to participate in the study, participants must be: a) 18 years old or older; b) have experienced at least one episode of depression; and c) exhibit elevated residual symptoms of depression-as indicated by a score of 5 or more on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer, \& Williams, 2001). As the majority of people experience both depression and anxiety symptoms concurrently, participants experiencing elevated anxiety symptoms will not be excluded from the study.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Participants will be excluded from the study if they indicate: a) a current diagnosis MDD, substance use disorder, psychosis, or mania in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013); b) the presence of major health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypothyroidism, etc.); and c) currently undergoing psychological or pharmacological treatment at the time of recruitment
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Longitudinal Interval Follow-UP Evaluation - Structured Clinical Interview (LIFE-SCID)
Time Frame: 12 Months
Proportional rates of individuals meeting criteria for major depression episode in accordance with the LIFE-SCID post randomization over 12-months across two conditions. This measure is a diagnostic interview: Outcomes are binary (diagnosis vs. no diagnosis)
Weeks to Relapse
Time Frame: 12 Months
Time in weeks to confirmed MDE relapse during the assessment period This is a linear calculation of how many weeks participants stayed diagnosis free (higher is more weeks without a depressive relapse/recurrence).
Scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 over 12-months
Time Frame: 12 Months
Differences in depressive symptoms among those randomized to the intervention or active control condition at the 12-month assessment period This measure is a diagnostic interview: Outcomes are binary (diagnosis vs. no diagnosis)
Secondary Outcomes
- Experiences Questionnaire-Decentering(Post-intervention, 3, 6, 9, and 12 Months)
- Fears of Compassion Scales (FCS)(Post-intervention, 3, 6, 9, and 12 Months)
- Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)(Post-intervention, 3, 6, 9, and 12 Months)
- Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15(Post-intervention, 3, 6, 9, and 12 Months)