Mitigating Photo-Investment in Young Adult Women Through an Online Self-Compassion Intervention: A Controlled Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Social media platforms centered on visual content, such as Instagram, often expose young women to idealized images, heightening body dissatisfaction and maladaptive behaviors related to photo-investment. Self-compassion has been identified as a protective factor that may buffer against these negative effects. The present study investigated whether a brief online self-compassion intervention could increase self-compassion and reduce photo-investment in young adult women. Method To achieve this goal a controlled study has been performed. Fifty-four young women (18–30 years) were randomly assigned to a 3-week online self-compassion intervention or a waitlist control group. Self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, and photo-investment were assessed at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1). Data were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach with 2 × 2 mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results Significant time × group interactions were observed for self-kindness ( ηp 2 = 0.09), common humanity ( ηp 2 = 0.08), and photo-investment ( ηp 2 = 0.09), indicating greater improvements in the intervention group relative to controls. No significant interaction was found for mindfulness. Participants in the self-compassion intervention group also reported positive evaluations of the program’s usefulness and acceptability. Conclusions Preliminary findings suggest that brief, online self-compassion interventions can enhance self-kindness and reduce photo-investment, offering a promising, accessible approach to supporting body image resilience in the context of social media use. Preregistration This study is not preregistered.