Trial results for a study investigating self-compassion therapist-led online group treatment for adolescents with distress, anxiety, and depression were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-05-30, involving 42 participants.
Background
Distress, anxiety, and depression are highly prevalent in school health care or primary care settings, with many conditions remaining undiscovered or untreated. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) has demonstrated effectiveness in treating distress and depression in adults. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effect, feasibility, and acceptability of a brief therapist-led online group CFT specifically for low-threshold distressed, anxious, and depressed adolescents, utilizing an online format to enhance availability.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 42 participants. It investigated conditions including Emotional Distress, Anxiety, and Depression in adolescents. The trial evaluated the preliminary effect, feasibility, and acceptability of a brief therapist-led online group Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) intervention, comparing it against a control group.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements for both the CFT Group Intervention and a Control Group:
- Perceived Stress Scale (units on a scale):
- CFT Group Intervention: A mean score of 22.73 (Standard Deviation 3.84) was observed.
- Control Group: A mean score of 20.85 (Standard Deviation 5.83) was observed.
- The Subscale Anxiety in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (units on a scale):
- CFT Group Intervention: A mean score of 10.87 (Standard Deviation 4.96) was observed.
- Control Group: A mean score of 6.15 (Standard Deviation 3.93) was observed.
- The Subscale Depression in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (units on a scale):
- CFT Group Intervention: A mean score of 11.33 (Standard Deviation 3.64) was observed.
- Control Group: A mean score of 7.31 (Standard Deviation 3.43) was observed.
What this means
The posted results provide specific mean scores and standard deviations for perceived stress, anxiety, and depression in adolescents. For the Perceived Stress Scale, the CFT group had a mean score of 22.73 (Standard Deviation 3.84) compared to the control group's mean of 20.85 (Standard Deviation 5.83). On The Subscale Anxiety in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, the CFT group showed a mean of 10.87 (Standard Deviation 4.96) versus the control group's mean of 6.15 (Standard Deviation 3.93). For The Subscale Depression in Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, the CFT group's mean was 11.33 (Standard Deviation 3.64) compared to the control group's mean of 7.31 (Standard Deviation 3.43). Higher scores on these specific scales generally indicate increased levels of stress, anxiety, or depression. The data presented focuses on these measurements and does not include statistical analyses or further details on feasibility and acceptability, which were also stated as study purposes.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05448014, titled "Self-compassion Therapist-led Online Group Treatment for Adolescents With Distress, Anxiety, and Depression", were posted on 2025-05-30 on clinicaltrials.gov.