PerfectionismNCT03453437
Mindful Self-compassion and Perfectionism
A study testing Mindful Self-Compassion in people with Perfectionism and Depression, run by University of Bergen at 1 site in Norway.
Trial summary
The study is a randomized controlled study. A total of 200 students will be invited to participate in a 5-session mindful self-compassion course aimed at increasing self-compassion and reducing maladaptive perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy body image. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety
- What is being tested?
- Mindful Self-Compassion
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 379 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNorway
- Study dates
- 3 Feb 2018to 14 May 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- College/university students
Who cannot join
- N/A
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindful Self-compassion Intervention to Improve Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety, and Unhealthy Body Image in College Students
The study is a randomized controlled study. A total of 200 students will be invited to participate in a 5-session mindful self-compassion course aimed at increasing self-compassion and reducing maladaptive perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy body image. Self-compassion is the ability to show oneself kindness in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, and suffering by attending to distressing experiences with kindness, mindfulness, and the ability to recognize these as a part of a shared humanity. Twelve participants will be randomly selected for pre- and post interviews to qualitatively evaluate outcome. Ten participants with high perfectionistic tendencies will be selected to participate in a narrative life story interview.
Read the detailed description
The investigators will test four hypotheses:
- At baseline, low levels of maladaptive perfectionism, and lower levels of depression, anxiety and body appreciation - reversed, will be related to greater self-compassion. The investigators expect high level of maladaptive perfectionism to be related to lower baseline self-compassion, higher levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of body appreciation.
- The intervention, a five session self-compassion intervention, will be sufficient to induce positive changes in perfectionism and psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression and body-appreciation- reversed.
- Changes in self-compassion will co-vary with changes in maladaptive perfectionism and body appreciation.
- Higher baseline levels of maladaptive perfectionism will predict greater gains from the intervention, because perfectionistic students will have greater need for a self-compassion intervention.
- Conditions
- Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety, Body Image
- Being tested
- Mindful Self-Compassion
- Medical subject headings
- Depression, Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mindful Self-CompassionBehavioural
Mindful self-compassion is a course developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer designed to cultivate self-compassion as measured by three subcategories: self-kindness, mindfulness, and a sense of common humanity. This study will shorten the original 8-week course to 5 sessions, and will include interventions and lectures aimed directly toward addressing evaluative concerns perfectionism.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | No intervention | Receiving no intervention (control groups will be offered the intervention after the experimental group has completed the course) |
| Active group | Experimental | Receiving Mindful Self-Compassion intervention Receives: Behavioral: Mindful Self-Compassion |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in perfectionism
Adaptive perfectionism as measured by the "Personal Standards" subscale and maladaptive perfectionism/evaluative concerns perfectionism as measured by "Doubts about Actions" and "Concern over Mistakes" subscales of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Personal Standards consists of seven items (6 items for "pure personal standards"), Doubt about Actions consists of four items, and Concern over Mistakes consists of 9 items. All items are on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to disagree with higher scores indicating most perfectionistic tendencies. Full range: 20-100 with higher scores representing more perfectionistic tendencies. Evaluative concerns perfectionism range: 13-65, higher scores indicate more evaluative concerns perfectionism. Personal standards range: 7-35 with higher scores indicating higher personal standards.
Measured: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in body image
Body image as measured by the 13 item Body Appreciation Scale consisting of a 5-point Likert scale. Range: 13-65, lower scores indicating no body appreciation and higher scores indicating greater body appreciation.
Measured: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, one week after last session, 6 months after intervention
Change in depressive tendencies
Depressive tendencies as measured by the 12 item Major Depression Inventory which measures symptoms of depression on a 6-point Likert scale (not at all to all of the time), range: 12-72, with higher scores indicating more symptoms of depression.
Measured: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Change in anxiety
Anxiety as measured by the 20 item "trait subscale" of the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. The Inventory consists of a 4-point Likert scale (almost never to almost always), range: 20-80, higher scores indicating greater anxiety.
Measured: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Change in self-compassion
Assessment of self-compassion with the Self-Compassion Scale short form.Total score range from 12 (no self-compassion) to 60 (high on self-compassion). Higher values represent greater self-compassion, lower scores indicate no self-compassion.
Measured: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Mar 2018
- Study start3 Feb 2018
- Primary completion14 May 2019
- Study completion14 May 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (18)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PerfectionismStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 379 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Bergen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Per-Einar Binder, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Bergen
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03453437
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UiBMSC2018
- Status last verified
- Aug 2021
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2018
- Last updated
- 17 Aug 2021
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Avalos L, Tylka TL, Wood-Barcalow N. The Body Appreciation Scale: development and psychometric evaluation. Body Image. 2005 Sep;2(3):285-97. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.06.002. Epub 2005 Aug 26.
PubMed 18089195Raes F, Pommier E, Neff KD, Van Gucht D. Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011 May-Jun;18(3):250-5. doi: 10.1002/cpp.702. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
PubMed 21584907Dundas I, Binder PE, Hansen TGB, Stige SH. Does a short self-compassion intervention for students increase healthy self-regulation? A randomized control trial. Scand J Psychol. 2017 Oct;58(5):443-450. doi: 10.1111/sjop.12385. Epub 2017 Aug 28.
PubMed 28850726Frost, R.O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., Rosenblate R. The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14 (1990), pp. 449-468.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Bech P, Rasmussen NA, Olsen LR, Noerholm V, Abildgaard W. The sensitivity and specificity of the Major Depression Inventory, using the Present State Examination as the index of diagnostic validity. J Affect Disord. 2001 Oct;66(2-3):159-64. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00309-8.
PubMed 11578668Chang, E. C., Linn, N. J., Herringshaw, A. J., Sanna, L. J., Fabian, C. G., Pereraa, M. J., & Marchenkoa, V. V. (2011). Understanding the link between perfectionism and adjustment in college students: Examining the role of maximizing. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(7), 1074.
Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and identity, 2(3), 223-250. doi:10.1080/15298860309027
Bardone-Cone AM, Sturm K, Lawson MA, Robinson DP, Smith R. Perfectionism across stages of recovery from eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2010 Mar;43(2):139-48. doi: 10.1002/eat.20674.
PubMed 19308994Boone L, Soenens B, Luyten P. When or why does perfectionism translate into eating disorder pathology? A longitudinal examination of the moderating and mediating role of body dissatisfaction. J Abnorm Psychol. 2014 May;123(2):412-8. doi: 10.1037/a0036254.
PubMed 24886015Wade TD, Tiggemann M. The role of perfectionism in body dissatisfaction. J Eat Disord. 2013 Jan 22;1:2. doi: 10.1186/2050-2974-1-2. eCollection 2013.
PubMed 24764525Braun TD, Park CL, Gorin A. Self-compassion, body image, and disordered eating: A review of the literature. Body Image. 2016 Jun;17:117-31. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Mar 31.
PubMed 27038782Breines, J., Toole, A., Tu, C., & Chen, S. (2014). Self-compassion, body image, and self-reported disordered eating. [Journal; Peer Reviewed Journal]. Self and identity, 13(4), 432-448.
Kelly AC, Tasca GA. Within-persons predictors of change during eating disorders treatment: An examination of self-compassion, self-criticism, shame, and eating disorder symptoms. Int J Eat Disord. 2016 Jul;49(7):716-22. doi: 10.1002/eat.22527. Epub 2016 Apr 6.
PubMed 27061929Kelly AC, Vimalakanthan K, Carter JC. Understanding the roles of self-esteem, self-compassion, and fear of self-compassion in eating disorder pathology: an examination of female students and eating disorder patients. Eat Behav. 2014 Aug;15(3):388-91. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.04.008. Epub 2014 May 10.
PubMed 25064287
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Aug 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindful Self-compassion Intervention to Improve Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety, and Unhealthy Body Image in College Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03453437
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UiBMSC2018
- Conditions
- Perfectionism, Depression, Anxiety, Body Image
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 379 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of BergenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Feb 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 14 May 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 14 May 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Mar 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study is a randomized controlled study. A total of 200 students will be invited to participate in a 5-session mindful self-compassion course aimed at increasing self-compassion and reducing maladaptive perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy body image. Self-compassion is the ability to show oneself kindness in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, and suffering by attending to distressing experiences with kindness, mindfulness, and the ability to recognize these as a part of a shared humanity. Twelve participants will be randomly selected for pre- and post interviews to qualitatively evaluate outcome. Ten participants with high perfectionistic tendencies will be selected to participate in a narrative life story interview.
Detailed description
The investigators will test four hypotheses:
- At baseline, low levels of maladaptive perfectionism, and lower levels of depression, anxiety and body appreciation - reversed, will be related to greater self-compassion. The investigators expect high level of maladaptive perfectionism to be related to lower baseline self-compassion, higher levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of body appreciation.
- The intervention, a five session self-compassion intervention, will be sufficient to induce positive changes in perfectionism and psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression and body-appreciation- reversed.
- Changes in self-compassion will co-vary with changes in maladaptive perfectionism and body appreciation.
- Higher baseline levels of maladaptive perfectionism will predict greater gains from the intervention, because perfectionistic students will have greater need for a self-compassion intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | No intervention | –Receiving no intervention (control groups will be offered the intervention after the experimental group has completed the course) |
| Active group | Experimental | Behavioral: Mindful Self-CompassionReceiving Mindful Self-Compassion intervention |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- College/university students
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- N/A
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mindful Self-CompassionMindful self-compassion is a course developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer designed to cultivate self-compassion as measured by three subcategories: self-kindness, mindfulness, and a sense of common humanity. This study will shorten the original 8-week course to 5 sessions, and will include interventions and lectures aimed directly toward addressing evaluative concerns perfectionism. | Behavioural | Active group |
Primary outcome
Change in perfectionism
Time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Adaptive perfectionism as measured by the "Personal Standards" subscale and maladaptive perfectionism/evaluative concerns perfectionism as measured by "Doubts about Actions" and "Concern over Mistakes" subscales of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Personal Standards consists of seven items (6 items for "pure personal standards"), Doubt about Actions consists of four items, and Concern over Mistakes consists of 9 items. All items are on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to disagree with higher scores indicating most perfectionistic tendencies. Full range: 20-100 with higher scores representing more perfectionistic tendencies. Evaluative concerns perfectionism range: 13-65, higher scores indicate more evaluative concerns perfectionism. Personal standards range: 7-35 with higher scores indicating higher personal standards.
4 secondary outcomes
Change in body image
Time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, one week after last session, 6 months after intervention
Change in depressive tendencies
Time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Change in anxiety
Time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Change in self-compassion
Time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Aug 2021.
- Background: PubMed 18089195Avalos L, Tylka TL, Wood-Barcalow N. The Body Appreciation Scale: development and psychometric evaluation. Body Image. 2005 Sep;2(3):285-97. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.06.002. Epub 2005 Aug 26.
- Background: PubMed 21584907Raes F, Pommier E, Neff KD, Van Gucht D. Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011 May-Jun;18(3):250-5. doi: 10.1002/cpp.702. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
- Background: PubMed 28850726Dundas I, Binder PE, Hansen TGB, Stige SH. Does a short self-compassion intervention for students increase healthy self-regulation? A randomized control trial. Scand J Psychol. 2017 Oct;58(5):443-450. doi: 10.1111/sjop.12385. Epub 2017 Aug 28.
- BackgroundFrost, R.O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., Rosenblate R. The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14 (1990), pp. 449-468.
- BackgroundSpielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
- Background: PubMed 11578668Bech P, Rasmussen NA, Olsen LR, Noerholm V, Abildgaard W. The sensitivity and specificity of the Major Depression Inventory, using the Present State Examination as the index of diagnostic validity. J Affect Disord. 2001 Oct;66(2-3):159-64. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00309-8.
- BackgroundChang, E. C., Linn, N. J., Herringshaw, A. J., Sanna, L. J., Fabian, C. G., Pereraa, M. J., & Marchenkoa, V. V. (2011). Understanding the link between perfectionism and adjustment in college students: Examining the role of maximizing. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(7), 1074.
- BackgroundNeff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and identity, 2(3), 223-250. doi:10.1080/15298860309027
- Background: PubMed 19308994Bardone-Cone AM, Sturm K, Lawson MA, Robinson DP, Smith R. Perfectionism across stages of recovery from eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2010 Mar;43(2):139-48. doi: 10.1002/eat.20674.
- Background: PubMed 24886015Boone L, Soenens B, Luyten P. When or why does perfectionism translate into eating disorder pathology? A longitudinal examination of the moderating and mediating role of body dissatisfaction. J Abnorm Psychol. 2014 May;123(2):412-8. doi: 10.1037/a0036254.
- Background: PubMed 24764525Wade TD, Tiggemann M. The role of perfectionism in body dissatisfaction. J Eat Disord. 2013 Jan 22;1:2. doi: 10.1186/2050-2974-1-2. eCollection 2013.
- Background: PubMed 27038782Braun TD, Park CL, Gorin A. Self-compassion, body image, and disordered eating: A review of the literature. Body Image. 2016 Jun;17:117-31. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Mar 31.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Per-Einar Binder, PhD principal investigator
University of Bergen
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mindful Self-Compassion in people with Perfectionism and Depression, run by University of Bergen at 1 site in Norway.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Aug 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Norway. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in perfectionism (time frame: Baseline (two for control group), one week prior to intervention, every week for four weeks until completion of intervention (including one week after last session), 6 months after intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03453437, which also lists 18 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Aug 2021.