Group mindful self-compassion training to improve mental health outcomes for gender and sexually diverse young adults.
Michael C. W. English, Alana Papageorgiou, Zoe Waters, Amy Finlay-Jones, Dylan P. Gilbey, Matthew N. Cooper, Zac Dempsey, Penelope; Id_orcid 0000-0002-4828-0983 Strauss, Yael Perry, Levent Koca, Kathleen Cator, Meg-an Windred, Adrian Murdoch, Jeneva L. Ohan, Ashleigh Lin
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity May 28, 2026 DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000919 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Young people who identify as gender or sexually diverse |
| Intervention | Mindful Self-Compassion |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Group periodic table Training meteorology Human females Medline Clinical psychology Gender identity |
| Key findings | Mindful Self-Compassion, an online-delivered supportive group training program, can help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and self-criticism while increasing self-kindness and emotional resilience in young gender or sexually diverse people. |
Abstract
Significance StatementYoung people who identify as gender or sexually diverse often face high levels of mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, depression, and self-criticism.This study shows that Mindful Self-Compassion, an online-delivered supportive group training program, can help reduce these difficulties while increasing self-kindness and emotional resilience.Participants described the training as both useful and accessible, pointing to its potential as a scalable mental health support tool for this underserved community.