Effects of Brief Self-Compassion Meditation Training on Body Image Distress in Young Adult Females: a Pilot Study Open Access

Abstract

Body image distress (BID) is highly prevalent among women from Western cultures. Interventions to increase self-compassion may be uniquely suited to address BID, since change-based strategies may have limited utility in a cultural context that so highly values appearance. Albertson, Neff and Dill-Schackleford (2014) recently demonstrated the superiority of a three-week online self-compassion meditation training compared to a waitlist control condition in reducing negative body image. The present study sought to extend these findings in a sample of young adult females (ages 18 to 21) with body image concerns. This study used a more tightly controlled laboratory-based paradigm, objective measures of meditation frequency, and a shorter intervention period. Participants were randomized to either a brief (one week) self-compassion meditation training condition (n= 45) or to a waitlist control group (n= 42). Consistent with hypotheses, self- compassion training led to significantly greater reductions in body image distress and increases in body appreciation compared to the control condition, even though compliance with daily meditation instructions was low. These results suggest that even brief exposure to the basic tenets of self-compassion regarding body image may hold promise as an approach for individuals experiencing some body image distress, who may be unlikely to seek more intensive intervention to address those concerns.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction.........................................................................................1

II. Method..............................................................................................18

III. Results.............................................................................................27

IV. Discussion.........................................................................................32

V. References..........................................................................................44

VI. Table 1..............................................................................................55

VII. Table 2.............................................................................................56

VIII. Table 3............................................................................................57

IX. Figure 1.............................................................................................58

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Psychology
Degree	MA
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Clinical
Keyword	body image meditation self-compassion
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Craighead, Linda, Emory University
Committee Members	Westen, Drew, Emory University Nygaard, Lynne, Emory University

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