Study of Compassion Focused Therapy to Reduce Self-Stigma in Adults with Mental or Neurodevelopmental Disorders

What this Trial Is About

People with mental disorders often face stigmatizing attitudes, which can lead them to isolate themselves and interfere with their care and recovery. This trial focuses on reducing self-stigma, a form of stigma individuals apply to themselves, which is linked to increased shame, lowered coping skills, social avoidance, and worse clinical outcomes. Compassion Focused Therapy CFT, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy aimed at reducing shame and fostering self-compassion, is being evaluated for its effectiveness in individuals with high levels of self-stigma. The study compares three groups one receiving group-based Compassion Focused Therapy, another undergoing a psychoeducation program called Ending Self Stigma ESS, and a third receiving treatment as usual TAU. The CFT program includes psychoeducation on compassion and emotion regulation, experiential exercises during sessions, and guided practices with video support between sessions. The ESS program provides education on stigma and self-stigma and encourages home exercises to improve self-esteem. Participants will be assessed for internalized stigma using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness inventory ISMI at the start and monthly for three months. The study involves psychiatric evaluations to monitor symptom severity and ensure safety. Researchers will evaluate changes in self-stigma levels and the acceptability of the treatments over the study period. The trial is sponsored by the University Hospital in Strasbourg, France, and is ongoing with a planned end date in March 2028.

COMpassion for Psychiatric Disorders And Self-Stigma