Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindful Self-Compassion Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young Adults

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND · May 7, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how helpful an 8-week program called "mindful self-compassion" can be for transgender and nonbinary young adults. The program includes weekly virtual classes that last 2.5 hours, a 4-hour virtual retreat, and daily activities to practice for about 20-30 minutes. Participants will also fill out surveys at different times: before the program starts, halfway through, after it ends, and three months later to see how they felt about the experience.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to identify as transgender, nonbinary, or another non-cisgender identity, and should have reliable access to the internet and a device for the virtual sessions. They also need to understand and speak English. However, those with certain mental health challenges or previous mindfulness training are not able to join. This study is not yet recruiting participants, but it aims to create a supportive space for young adults to explore self-compassion and improve their well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer (or another non-cisgender identity)
• • have reliable access to a smart phone or computer/tablet and the Internet and is reasonably able to make the time commitment required of the program (self-report)
• • speak and understand English
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • has had formal mindfulness training (i.e. mindfulness-based stress reduction course) or engages in regular mindfulness practice (15 minutes more than twice a week for the last six months or more)
• • Score 15 or higher on the patient health questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8)
• • Score 2 or higher on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
• • Experienced an acute physical health crisis (e.g., chemotherapy, recovery from severe injury) (Germer \& Neff, 2019, p. 80) in the past year
• • Head trauma, seizure, or loss of consciousness in the past 6 months
• • Reports a history of trauma AND Scores 14 or higher on Post-Traumatic Checklist, 6-item Civilian version
• • Reports a diagnosis of a personality disorder
• • Reports a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a history of psychosis
• • Reports acute panic attack in the past month and history of acute panic attacks with concern/worry about having another one in the future OR Reports severe social anxiety which would make attending class too difficult
• • Reports an acute episode of psychosis or suicide attempt in the past 12 months
• • Has engaged in non-suicidal self-injury in the past 6 months
• • Currently prescribed antipsychotic medications, benzodiazepine (equivalent to 30mg diazepam/day) or opioids (\>40mg morphine equivalent/day)
• • Prescribed any other psychiatric medication, including medication for opioid use disorder, whose dose has been changed in the past 8 weeks or is anticipated to change in the next 6 months.
• • Currently engage in harmful drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion (Flentje et al., 2020) more than once in the past 2 weeks; OR have any concerns about the expectation to not be using substances during group sessions
• • has undergone detoxification from alcohol or other drugs and has been in sustained remission (with or without medication) for less than 1 year
• • Has been hospitalized overnight for mental health related reasons in the past year (any diagnoses except bipolar disorder) OR have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and have had an episode of mania or have been hospitalized in the past 2 years
• • Reports any other acute physical or mental illness symptoms that may make group participation difficult