The Effectiveness of Training in Self-Compassion to Reduce Feelings of Shame Related to Body Image among Female Obese Adolescents

Abstract

The current study aimed to verify the effectiveness of self-compassion training in reducing feelings of shame related to body image among female obese adolescents. The study relied on the semi-experimental approach, while the study sample was composed of five female secondary school students in the city of Buraidah, whose ages ranged between (16 to 19) years old. They were placed in one experimental group that underwent measurements (pre, post, tracked), with the study tools including a training program consisting of twelve sessions (prepared by the researcher) and a measure of shame associated with body image made by Duarte, et al., (2015) (translated by the researcher). Truthfulness, consistency, and the appropriate analysis of statistical data has been verified, and those study results found statistically significant differences between the average ranks of the experimental group scores in the pre- and post-measurements on the scale of shame associated with body image in favor of the post-measurement. The results also found that there were no statistically significant differences between the average ranks of the experimental group scores in the post- and tracked- measurements on the scale of shame associated with body image, which indicates the effectiveness of the training program in developing self-compassion and reducing feelings of shame associated with body image among obese adolescents, the effectiveness of the program used on the long-term, and the survival of its impact.