Rebalance: Compassion Focused Therapy in a Transdiagnostic Health Group

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study evaluates the use of group Compassion Focussed Therapy in a population with various and/or multiple long term health conditions. A multiple baseline, single case experimental design will be used with a view to evaluate changes in psychological adjustment and compassion. Daily data and weekly questionnaire batteries will be collected across a baseline period and ten weeks of group intervention. Participants will be those already referred to the group by a clinician as part of their routine care.

Official Title
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Rebalance: Group Compassion Focussed Therapy for People With Transdiagnostic Chronic Health Conditions - a Case Series

Conditions
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Compassion, Psychological Adjustment, Chronic Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Compassion Focussed Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Experiencing difficulties adjusting to one or more chronic physical health condition(s) Willing and motivated to attend a nine-week group facilitated in English Exhibit sufficient interpersonal skills and impulse control to allow them to engage with group members without disrupting group dynamics Able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Moderate or severe impairment of cognitive function Primary problem related to drug or alcohol misuse Actively suicidal or experiencing an acute deterioration in their mental health including experiencing an acute psychotic episode

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Rebalance - Group Compassion Focussed Therapy<br> | Other: Compassion Focussed Therapy<br>* Group compassion focussed therapy. One session every week for 10 weeks. Each session lasts 2.5 hours with two breaks during this time.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The compassionate engagement and action scales (assessing change over time) | Measure of compassion compromising three subscales. Each scale contains two sub-sections. All answers on scale of 1 (Never) to 10 (Always). | Recorded weekly throughout baseline period and ten week intervention. Also collected once at 3 month follow up. | 
| Work and social adjustment scale (assessing change over time) | A 5-item measure of functional impairment due to a specified stressor. Each question is scored 1 (Not at all) to 8 (very severely) | Recorded weekly throughout baseline period and ten week intervention. Also collected once at 3 month follow up | 
| Self-efficacy for managing chronic disease scale (assessing change over time) | A 6-item measure of perceived self-efficacy to adherence to recommended self-management programs. Each item scored 1 (not at all confident) to 10 (totally confident). | Recorded weekly throughout baseline period and ten week intervention. Also collected once at 3 month follow up | 
| Illness Cognition Questionnaire (assessing change over time) | 18 items each rated on a four-point scale with high internal validity (all above 0.81. Assessing three domains of perceiving illness (helplessness, acceptance and perceived benefits) this tool identifies maladaptive cognitive styles surrounding illness which are linked to poorer psychological outcomes. Scored 1 (not at all) to 4 (completely) | Recorded weekly throughout baseline period and ten week intervention. Also collected once at 3 month follow up | 
| The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (assessing change over time) | A 14 item measure of psychological wellbeing scored 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). | Recorded weekly throughout baseline period and ten week intervention. Also collected once at 3 month follow up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daily diary questions (assessing change over time) | 3 questions relating to the participants sense of adjustment and self-compassion on that day. Each question uses a five-point likert scale from 1 (very poorly) to 5 (very well) | Daily throughout baseline (14-5 days) and intervention (10 weeks). May also be collected for 7 days at time of three month follow up. |