Effects of Self-Compassion Practice on Stress Reactivity Among Sexual Minority Women

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This project will test the ability of brief self-compassion training to attenuate physiological and subjective responses to induced stress among sexual minority women, transgender people, and nonbinary people.

Official Title
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Dating and Sexual Violence Among Sexual Minority Women Living in Central New York (Project DAWN), Study B: Pilot RCT

Conditions
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Stress Reaction, Sexuality, Compassion

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Compassion Intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Be 18 years of age or older Be fluent in English (i.e., speak and read English) Have Internet access Have a working email address Self-identify sexual identity as LGBQ+ or another non-heterosexual identity AND gender identity as cisgender woman, transgender, nonbinary, or other gender minority identity Currently live in Central NY Exclusion Criteria: Failing an inclusion criterion Report having been hospitalized at an inpatient facility for psychiatric support within the past 6 months Report being currently pregnant Report a history of heart attack, unstable angina pectoris, heart failure, coronary heart disease, vascular, heart problems, stroke, or brain hemorrhage Report being on blood pressure medication Have resting systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 100 mmHg

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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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Compassion Intervention<br> | Behavioral: Compassion Intervention<br>* The compassion intervention is a single-session 40-min intervention in which the participants practiced soothing rhythm breathing (i.e., they are directed to slow their breathing using a five-count inhale and five-count exhale). They will then be provided didactic instruction on compassion, and will then be guided through an experiential compassion practice adapted that encompasses cultivating feelings of compassion for a loved one and then for oneself.<br>|
| No Intervention: No Training<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Blood Pressure | Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured with an Omron ocillometric blood pressure monitoring device before and after the intervention and before during and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), During TSST (45-50 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Salivary Cortisol | Salivary cortisol levels will be collected using Salimetrics saliva swabs before the intervention and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Heart Rate Variability | Heart rate variability will be measured with BIOPAC MP160 System before and after the intervention and before during and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), During TSST (45-50 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Heart Rate | Heart rate will be measured with BIOPAC MP160 System before and after the intervention and before during and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), During TSST (45-50 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Skin Conductance | Skin conductance reactivity will be measured with the BIOPAC MP160 System before and after the intervention and before during and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), During TSST (45-50 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Subjective Stress | Subjective stress reactivity will be measured with the six item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Marteau & Bekker, 1993), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and three visual analog scales before and after the intervention and before during and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in PTSD Symptoms | PTSD symptoms will be measured using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5; Foa et al., 2015). Possible scores on the PDS-5 range from 0 to 80. Higher scores indicate more PTSD symptoms. | Baseline, Follow-Up (1-month) | 
| Change in Substance Use | Past 30-day substance use, including number of days of any alcohol use, hazardous drinking, cannabis use, prescription drug use, cigarette use, and other drug use was measured using questions from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. | Baseline, Follow-Up (1-month) | 
| Change in Dissociation | Change in dissociation will be measured with the five items adapted from scales which measure state dissociation in experience sampling studies (Mason et al., 2017; Vine et al., 2020). Dissociation will be measured before and after the intervention and before and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. Possible scores for this measure range from 0 to 15. Higher scores indicate more dissociation. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 
| Change in Craving | Change in craving be measured with the 12-item Alcohol Craving Questionnaire - short form - revised (Singleton et al., 1994). Craving will be measured before and after the intervention and before and after participants undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) modified with a minority stress prompt. Possible scores on this measure range from 12 to 84. Higher scores indicate more alcohol craving. | Baseline, Immediate Follow-Up (40 minutes after Baseline), Immediate Post-TSST (20-30 minutes post-TSST onset), Recovery Post-TSST (10-20 minutes after Immediate Post-TSST time point) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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compassion, stress reactivity, sexual minority, gender minority