Effects of a Self-Compassion Training Program on Self-Compassion, Discrete Emotions, and Mental Health among Psychology Students: A Randomized Controlled Study With 3-Month Follow-Up
Open MIND July 19, 2026 Eirini Karakasidou, Athina Komninou, Markella Kotzia
A randomized controlled trial with 50 undergraduate psychology students in Athens, Greece, tested a six-session group-based self-compassion and mindfulness training program against a waitlist control, with a 3-month follow-up. The intervention was grounded in Neff's model of self-compassion and Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness. Analyses included 21 intervention and 25 control participants with complete data. The authors report that the program improved self-compassion and reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, with gains maintained at follow-up. The study was retrospective, unblinded, and used lottery-based allocation. No specific funding was received.