Effects of a Brief Self-Compassion Online Intervention on Complex Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Chinese University Students With Trauma History: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a brief 10-day online self-compassion intervention, lasting around 25 min per day, in reducing complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms among university students with trauma history. Method: We adopted a 2 (intervention group vs. control group) × 3 (pre-test vs. post-test vs. one-month follow-up) randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Results: Seventy-seven participants completed the study; repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a reduction in total CPTSD scores post-intervention. There was medium effect size of the intervention on disturbances in self-organization symptoms. Network analysis of CPTSD symptom changes and intervention conditions showed that changes in avoidance of external trauma cues, worthlessness, emotion dysregulation, feelings of isolation, and nightmare symptoms were directly associated with the intervention condition. Conclusions: The pilot RCT suggests the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the online self-compassion intervention for CPTSD symptoms among university students.