Mindful Compassion for Perfectionism

Perfectionism Clinical Trial

— MCP  

Official title:

Mindful Compassion for Perfectionism: A Waiting-list Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05700786
• Other study ID #: MCP-2022
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 5, 2022
• Est. completion date: December 15, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: April 2024
• Source: Tages Onlus
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this study is to confirm the feasibility of an integrative form of group psychotherapy in treating perfectionism. In a previous pilot study we suggested that this new treatment is safe and feasible, also reporting a significant reduction of perfectionism at final assessment. The intervention integrates the Paul Hewitt relational model of perfectionism and the Paul Gilbert Compassion Focused Therapy. We will explore the feasibility of the proposed group therapy through a three-arm waiting-list randomized controlled trial. Our hypothesis is that those in the treatment groups (either online or in presence format) will show at the end of the intervention a lower level of perfectionsm than those in the control group.

Description:

After being informed about the study and potential risks, all partecipants giving written informed consent will undergo a psychological assessment so as to determine eligibility for study entry. Patients who meet the eligibility requirements will be randomized in a double-blind manner in a 1:1 ratio to (i) new integrative group psychotherapy through an in presence format, (ii) the same integrative group psychotherapy through an online format, (iii) a waiting-list control group. At the end of active experimental groups treatment (2 months), all the partecipants will have access to the final follow-up assessment.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 76
• Est. completion date: December 15, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: September 30, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 30 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being aged between 18 and 30
• Reporting at least a clinically significant value at Multidimensional Perfectionsm Scale (at least one of the dimensions must have scores equal to or greater than the clinical population mean of the questionnaire manual)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or schizophrenia/psychosis spetrum disoders;
• Being under either psychiatric or psychological treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Perfectionism

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Mindful compassion for perfectionism
The intervention is a 8-week group psychotherapy in a hybrid format: 8 weekly online sessions lasting 2 hours plus an in presence half-day of silence lasting 4 hours.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Italy	Centro di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Tages Onlus - Firenze	Firenze	FI

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Tages Onlus

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Italy, 

References & Publications (11)

Cheli S, Cavalletti V, Flett GL, Hewitt PL. Mindful compassion for perfectionism in personality disorders: A pilot acceptability and feasibility study. BPA - Applied Psychology Bulletin (Bollettino di Psicologia Applicata). 2020; 68(287): 55-65. https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.287.5

Gilbert P. Compassion: From Its Evolution to a Psychotherapy. Front Psychol. 2020 Dec 9;11:586161. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586161. eCollection 2020. — View Citation

Gilbert P. Evolution and depression: issues and implications. Psychol Med. 2006 Mar;36(3):287-97. doi: 10.1017/S0033291705006112. Epub 2005 Oct 20. — View Citation

GILBERT, P. & CHODEN, K. (2014). Mindful compassion: How the science of compassion can help you understand your emotions, live in the present, and connect deeply with others. New Harbinger Publications.

Hewitt PL, Mikail SF, Dang SS, Kealy D, Flett GL. Dynamic-relational treatment of perfectionism: An illustrative case study. J Clin Psychol. 2020 Nov;76(11):2028-2040. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23040. Epub 2020 Aug 15. — View Citation

Hewitt PL, Qiu T, Flynn CA, Flett GL, Wiebe SA, Tasca GA, Mikail SF. Dynamic-relational group treatment for perfectionism: Informant ratings of patient change. Psychotherapy (Chic). 2020 Jun;57(2):197-205. doi: 10.1037/pst0000229. Epub 2019 May 20. — View Citation

Hewitt PL, Smith MM, Deng X, Chen C, Ko A, Flett GL, Paterson RJ. The perniciousness of perfectionism in group therapy for depression: A test of the perfectionism social disconnection model. Psychotherapy (Chic). 2020 Jun;57(2):206-218. doi: 10.1037/pst0000281. Epub 2020 Jan 30. — View Citation

HEWITT, P.L., FLETT, G.L. & MIKAIL, S.F. (2017). Perfectionism: A relational approach to conceptualization, assessment, and treatment. New York:The Guilford Press.

McEwan K, Gilbert P. A pilot feasibility study exploring the practising of compassionate imagery exercises in a nonclinical population. Psychol Psychother. 2016 Jun;89(2):239-43. doi: 10.1111/papt.12078. Epub 2015 Oct 10. — View Citation

Petrocchi N, Dentale F, Gilbert P. Self-reassurance, not self-esteem, serves as a buffer between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. Psychol Psychother. 2019 Sep;92(3):394-406. doi: 10.1111/papt.12186. Epub 2018 Jun 15. — View Citation

Smith MM, Sherry SB, Ray C, Hewitt PL, Flett GL. Is perfectionism a vulnerability factor for depressive symptoms, a complication of depressive symptoms, or both? A meta-analytic test of 67 longitudinal studies. Clin Psychol Rev. 2021 Mar;84:101982. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101982. Epub 2021 Jan 26. — View Citation

* Note: There are 11 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Feasibility (adverse events; adherence)	Feasibility is defined on the basis of two criteria: absence of adverse events (i.e. dropouts; hospitalization; etc.) and adequate adherence (i.e. maximum 1 skipped session per participant)	2 measurements: one at baseline assessment; one at final assessment. Initial assessment will be 1 month priori the intervention, the final assessment at the end of the intervention (2 months after the beginning of the intervention).
Primary	Betwen-groups effectiveness (perfectionism)	At the final assessment, the experimental group's Perfectionistic Cognitions Inventory (PCI) scores are significantly lower than those of the control group (the differences in the initial assessment must be insignificant). Higher scores of PCI (ranging between 0 to 100) are indicative of higher perfectionistic worry	2 measurements: one at baseline assessment; one at final assessment. Initial assessment will be 1 month priori the intervention, the final assessment at the end of the intervention (2 months after the beginning of the intervention).
Secondary	Withing-group effectiveness (perfectionism)	In the experimental group the scores on the Perfectionistic Cognitions Inventory (PCI) must show a significant difference between initial and final assessment. Higher scores of PCI (ranging between 0 to 100) are indicative of higher perfectionistic worry	2 measurements: one at baseline assessment; one at final assessment. Initial assessment will be 1 month priori the intervention, the final assessment at the end of the intervention (2 months after the beginning of the intervention).