(PS11-79) Intervening with Momentary Self-criticism with Single-session Cognitive and Compassion-focused Online Interventions

Self-criticism is a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental health challenges characterized by harsh self-attacking, negative affect, and heightened physiological arousal (e.g., Veilleux et al., 2023; Werner et al., 2019). To address the momentary self-critical thoughts and negative affect experienced by individuals susceptible to self-criticism, cognitive interventions promote the development of less negatively-biased thoughts to facilitate more balanced thinking whereas compassion-focused therapy (CFT) interventions prioritize the development of inner care and warmth to promote soothed physiological feelings (Gilbert, 2009; Greenberger & Padesky, 1995). Both approaches have documented benefits, but no research has compared their effectiveness for momentary self-criticism and associated negative affect.

The current work addressed this gap. We hypothesized that: H1) both interventions would cause greater reductions in a) state self-criticism and b) negative affect than a placebo-control condition; H2) consistent with CFT theory, the compassion-based intervention would outperform the cognitive intervention via increased soothing affect. Canadian undergraduates (N = 577) recalled a source of self-criticism and were randomly assigned to a single-session cognitively-focused, compassion-focused, or distraction-based control intervention.

When testing H1a, a violation of ANCOVA assumptions revealed that pre-intervention state self-criticism moderated the effects of condition on post-intervention state self-criticism (β = -.23, p</em> < .001), with the relative benefits of the two active interventions versus the control being more pronounced at higher pre-intervention levels of state self-criticism, β = -.60, p < .001.  In support of H1b, an ANCOVA revealed a main effect of condition on post-intervention negative affect controlling for pre-intervention negative affect, F(2, 568) = 8.05, p </em>< .001, with the two active interventions outperforming the control condition, F(1, 568) = 14.88, p </em>< .001. Contrary to H2, there were no indirect differences between the active interventions via soothing affect but follow-up analyses indicated they both generated greater reductions in negative affect and state self-criticism than the control indirectly via soothing affect.

Results suggest that single-session online cognitively-focused and compassion-focused interventions are effective ways to intervene with college students’ momentary self-criticism and associated negative affect. Compared to engaging in distraction, these two approaches generate more soothing affect which in turn helps to alleviate self-critical thoughts and distressing feelings. Future research should examine whether these interventions are similarly beneficial for those with clinical levels self-criticism, and whether soothing affect is a mechanism of therapeutic gains with prolonged engagement in these interventions.