Randomised controlled trial of a brief online self-compassion intervention for mothers of infants

Purpose: To test the effectiveness of a package of online self-compassion resources, for mothers of infants, on maternal mental health and wellbeing. Background Information: The transition to motherhood can encompass significant physical and psychological difficulties. Previous research suggests that compassion-focused interventions may be helpful for new mothers, but have been limited by exploratory designs and have not tested potential moderators of intervention effect. Participant Characteristics: A community sample of mothers of infants aged up to 24 months completed baseline assessment (including measures of self-compassion, fears of compassion, psychological flexibility and adjustment, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and infant feeding experiences and satisfaction), and were randomly allocated to intervention or waitlist-control. Mothers randomised to the intervention accessed online self-compassion resources (psychoeducational video, guided self-compassion exercise, and tip-sheet) and received weekly SMS. Overall, 248 mothers completed post-intervention assessment eight weeks later. Results: 62.8% of intervention participants accessed the resources as intended. Lower baseline scores for fear of compassion from others predicted resource use. Post-intervention, mothers who used the resources had improved scores for post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, self-compassionate action, and engagement with compassion from others compared to waitlist-control. Lower fears of compassion was associated with greater improvement in these variables. Limitations: Further research should consider infant age or intervention delivery modality, and would benefit from larger samples.