Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an online Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) intervention in reducing self-stigma, promoting self-compassion, and improving psychological health (specifically, depression and anxiety) in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. It is well-known that self-stigma among this population increases the risk of mental health problems, yet effective interventions to address this issue are lacking. In April 2023, we randomly assigned 25 gay and bisexual men between the ages of 19 and 35 to either an online MSC intervention group (n=13) or a waitlist group (n=12). We evaluated participants at four different time points: before the intervention, after four sessions, at the end of the intervention, and one month after its completion. The intervention group received the MSC intervention twice a week for a total of eight sessions, each lasting 30 minutes. All participants in the intervention group completed the program, with only one person dropping out. Therefore, the final analysis included 24 participants. The results of our study showed that there was no significant difference in self-stigma levels between the intervention group and the waitlist group. However, within the intervention group, we observed a significant decrease in self-stigma levels from pre-test to post-test. Additionally, self-compassion levels in the intervention group increased significantly compared to the waitlist group. Furthermore, participants in the intervention group reported significant reductions in depression and anxiety compared to those in the waitlist group. These positive effects were maintained up to one month after the intervention. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the online MSC intervention has the potential to be an effective approach in enhancing self-compassion levels and alleviating depression and anxiety in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.