Effectiveness of Compassionate Mind Training on Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Criticism in a Group of Iranian Depressed Patients

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of compassionate mind training (CMT) on symptoms of depression and anxiety in Iranian depressed sufferers. METHOD Nineteen depressed patients aged 20 to 40 (Beck Depression Inventory value ≥ 20) were randomly assigned into two groups. The experimental group participated in 12 sessions of group therapy based on Paul Gilbert's manual of CMT. The control group was given no intervention. The participants were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Anxiety Scale (AS), and Levels of Self-Criticism (LSCS) questionnaires at the beginning and immediately after the intervention. To follow-up the therapeutic effect of CMT, the three questionnaires were answered again by participants two months after the end of the intervention. Data were analyzed by independent samples t-test. RESULTS The results revealed that CMT significantly decreases depression (P < 0.05) and anxiety score (P < 0.05) in the follow-up study, but not immediately after the intervention. Although CMT decreased self-criticism, this effect was marginally insignificant. CONCLUSION The findings indicated that CMT could alleviatedepression and anxiety in a group of Iranian depressed patients.