Effectiveness of attachment-based compassion therapy to reduce psychological distress in university students: a randomised controlled trial protocol
Por:
Beltrán-Ruiz M, Fernández S, García-Campayo J, Puebla-Guedea M, López-Del-Hoyo Y, Navarro-Gil M and Montero J
Publicada:
24 ago 2023
Ahead of Print:
24 ago 2023
Categoría:
Psychology (miscellaneous)
Resumen:
Introduction Higher 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 analysis A 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 dissemination This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragon. Participant data will remain anonymous, and results will be submitted to peer-reviewed open-access journals and disseminated via conferences.
Filiaciones:
Beltrán-Ruiz M:
Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
Fernández S:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
García-Campayo J:
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
Puebla-Guedea M:
Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
López-Del-Hoyo Y:
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
Navarro-Gil M:
Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Research Network on Chronicity, Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Zaragoza, Spain
Montero J:
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
Green Submitted, gold
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