Effectiveness of Compassion Focused Therapy on Self-blaming and Depressive Symptoms of Depressed Bullied Adolescents

Samane  Bemani; Amin Barazandeh; Mahboube   Khajavi; Nasim  Samadifard; Leila  Esmaeilzadeh

doi:10.61838/kman.jayps.6.5.5

Authors

Samane Bemani Master's degree in Counseling, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Ash.C., Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4383-7400
Amin Barazandeh Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1931-6630
Mahboube Khajavi MSc. in Counseling and Guidance Psychology, Department of Applied Psychology, Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, University of Madras, Chennai, India Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3647-9023
Nasim Samadifard M.A. of clinical Psychology, Department of psychology, Faculty of educational science and Psychology, university of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1144-9105
Leila Esmaeilzadeh Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Znj.C., Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1880-5862

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jayps.6.5.5

Keywords:

Compassion, Focused , depressed

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) in reducing self-blame and depressive symptoms in adolescents who have been bullied.

Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed with 30 adolescents from Tehran, randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving CFT or a control group. The intervention group underwent eight CFT sessions aimed at reducing self-blame and depressive symptoms, while the control group received no intervention. Self-blame and depressive symptoms were measured at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (five months post-intervention). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-26.

Findings: The results revealed significant reductions in both self-blame and depressive symptoms in the intervention group. The analysis indicated that the intervention group had significantly lower self-blame (F = 7.12, p = 0.009) and depressive symptoms (F = 9.12, p = 0.005) compared to the control group, with moderate to large effect sizes (η² = 0.236 for self-blame, η² = 0.287 for depression). Post-hoc comparisons confirmed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test, and between the post-test and follow-up for both self-blame and depression, suggesting sustained benefits of the therapy.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an effective intervention for reducing self-blame and depressive symptoms in adolescents who have experienced bullying. These results support the utility of CFT in fostering self-compassion and improving emotional regulation in this vulnerable population, contributing to improved mental health outcomes.

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