A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness of Brief Self-compassion and Cognitive-behavioral Therapy Interventions for Perfectionism among Filipino University Students Using the 2 × 2 Model of Perfectionism

Abstract

Perfectionism is a growing concern among university students given its associations with wellbeing difficulties. Several studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions for lowering perfectionism in students. Amongst interventions that appear effective are those that incorporate principles of self-compassion and cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, there are a very few studies that attempt to compare the effectiveness of these two types of interventions. In addition, there are currently no attempts to examine the effectiveness of these (or other) interventions in context of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2012) and whether some subtypes benefit more from these types of interventions than others. The current study aims to address these limitations of existing research. This study has two primary objectives: (1) to compare the effectiveness of a brief self-compassion intervention, a brief cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention, and a wait-list control condition in reducing trait perfectionism and improving (self-)compassion and wellbeing in Filipino university students, and (2) to test if the relationship between perfectionism sub- types (as proposed in the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism) and changes in compassion- and wellbeing-related outcomes are moderated by the intervention (i.e., do the benefits of the interventions depend on the perfectionism subtype). All participants will be Filipino undergraduate students aged 18 years old or older, who are enrolled in a Philippine university over the course of the study and able to read, listen, and understand English. Students who are currently or previously diagnosed with a mental health condition or is currently receiving any psychological or psychiatric intervention (e.g., psychotherapy, medicine) from a mental health professional, will be excluded from the study. The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Block randomization will be used to allocate participants to the brief self-compassion intervention group, the brief cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention group, and the wait-list control group. The intervention groups will receive access to online modules of the assigned intervention for 4 weeks. The control group will not receive access to online modules over the same period. All participants will complete pre-intervention and post-intervention measures.