Effects of Mindful Self-Compassion Enhancing Program on Depression in Junior High School Students
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Abstract
Objective: To study the effects of the Mindful Self-Compassion Enhancing Program on Depression in Junior High School Students in a district school of Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
Methods: Quasi-experimental research. The sample was 40 junior high school students who met the inclusion criteria. They were matched and randomly assigned equally to an experimental and a control group. The experimental group received four weeks of the Mindful Self-Compassion Enhancing Program. The control group received a routine provided care by their school. The research tools consisted of 1) a personal data recording form, 2) the Thai version of The Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A), and 3) the Mindful Self-Compassion Enhancing Program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, repeated measures ANOVA, and the paired sample t-test. The statistical significance level was set at .01 level.
Results: Within-experimental group comparison: Immediately after the program’s completion, the junior high school students’ mean depression score was lower than prior to beginning the program (p ≤ .01). Six weeks after the program’s completion, the mean depression score remained lower compared to their mean score both when beginning the program and also at the program’s immediate completion (p ≤ .01). Between-group comparison: The experimental group's mean depression score after the program’s completion was lower than the control group’s score (p ≤ .01). After six weeks, the average depression score of the experimental group remained significantly lower than that of the control group (p ≤ .01).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the Mindful Self-Compassion Enhancing Program is a suitable intervention for junior high school students. The program’s effectiveness in reducing depression, as evidenced by the significant decrease in mean depression scores, makes a compelling case for its use in this age group.
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