Comparing the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Compassion-Focused Therapy on Distress Tolerance, High-Risk Behaviors and Feelings of Loneliness in Students with Self- Injurious Behaviors

The increase in the rate of self- injurious behaviors in teenagers has turned it into a major problem in societies. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of interventions with two methods of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on distress tolerance, high-risk behaviors, and feelings of loneliness in students with self-injurious behaviors.

In this semi-experimental study, 45 female students with self- injurious behaviors were included. Samples were randomly divided into three groups (N=15): 1. mindfulness-based stress reduction group, 2. compassion-focused therapy group, and 3. control group. In the first and second group, 8 sessions of mindfulness-based stress reduction and compassion-focused therapy sessions were held, respectively. In the control group, no intervention was performed. After the sessions, all groups completed the distress tolerance, high-risk behaviors, and feeling of loneliness questionnaires and were followed up a month later.

The findings of this study revealed that both methods were effective in improving the variables of distress tolerance and high-risk behaviors, and its effect remained constant over time (P<0.01). In addition, both interventions were effective in reducing the feeling of loneliness only in the post-test phase and its effect was not maintained over time. No significant difference was observed between the average scores of the two experimental groups in all three variables in both stages (P < 0.05).

Holding mindfulness-based stress reduction as well as compassion-focused therapy sessions is effective in improving distress tolerance, high-risk behaviors, and feeling of loneliness in students with self- injurious behaviors.