INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SELF-COMPASSION INTERVENTION ON SELF-COMPASSION, INTERNALIZED SHAME, AND INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS AMONGST UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THROUGH A MOBILE APP LEARNING PROGRAMME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Abstract

Shame is a self-conscious negative emotion that is a well-documented mental health risk factor. Self-compassion has been found to be an effective psychotherapeutic tool, including in the management of psychological issues associated with shame. However, there are few studies investigating the relationship between self-compassion and internalized shame, which is a trait of having pervasive, fundamental sense of one’s incompetence and inferiority. The present study investigates the relationship between self-compassion, internalized shame, and negative psychological disturbances, using a mobile app-delivered with week-long learning programmes. A total of 133 students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) participated in the study. Mediation analyses revealed that internalized shame fully mediated the relationship between self-compassion and negative psychological disturbances. The results also show that a one-week mobile app learning pathway has some efficacy in improving self-compassion levels, although there were no associated improvements to internalized shame and negative psychological disturbances. Overall, however, this study suggests that internalized shame is the pathway by which self-compassion can affect internalizing psychopathological symptoms. Additionally, mobile applications are a feasible and efficacious medium by which to deliver self-compassion programmes.