Improving Women's Self-Compassion Through an Online Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The benefits of self-compassion interventions have been well documented in the counseling literature. Despite these benefits, access to such interventions remains a considerable barrier for a range of populations. We addressed the issue of limited access by using a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an online, self-guided course on self-compassion specifically targeted toward women. Fifty-seven women were randomly assigned to receive immediate or delayed access to a 10-week course designed to increase self-compassion and reduce self-judgment, shame, and perfectionism. Analysis of the data revealed that participants in the treatment condition experienced significant increases in self-compassion and decreases in self-judgment, shame, and perfectionism compared with participants in the wait-list group. Results provide evidence that self-compassion can be fostered in a nonclinical population of women through participation in a self-paced online course. Related findings and potential implications, including the use of such interventions to address accessibility concerns, are discussed within the existing literature.

Automated summary

This study found that self-compassion can be enhanced in nonclinical population of women through participation in a self-paced online course. Participants in the treatment condition experienced significant increases in self-compassion and decreases in self-judgment, shame, and perfectionism.