The effectiveness of self-compassion interventions on international Ph.D. students’ well-being
Borzoo Pourabdollahian and Jolanta Golan
Citation: Pourabdollahian, B., & Golan, J. (2024). The effectiveness of self-compassion interventions on international Ph.D. students’ well-being. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 8, 3, 1-13. https://www.nationalwellbeingservice.org/volumes/volume-8-2024/volume-8-article-3/
Processing dates: Submitted 21 February 2023; Resubmitted 16 August 2023; Accepted 12 September 2023; Published 30 May 2024
Abstract
Objectives: International PhD students not only deal with challenging tasks in their research and study, but are also under psychological pressures from the difficulties and problems of living in a new country. Although well-being has become a major concern for this population due to the increased financial and mental stressors, there is little literature on the effect of positive psychology on this group. To address this gap, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-compassion intervention on well-being among international PhD students.
Method: In the current paper, the targeted population was encouraged to participate via direct email and Facebook posts. Thirty-one participants entered the study and were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group (N = 16) and a control group (N = 15). The intervention was conducted for two weeks. The experimental group received information and exercises about self-compassion at the beginning of each week and were asked to practice them during the week. Both groups completed a well-being assessment survey before the intervention (pre-test) and after the intervention (post-test). The participants in the experimental group also completed a self-compassion questionnaire at pre-test and post-test.
Results: A mixed two-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant increase in the level of wellbeing in the experimental group from pre-test to post-test, compared to the control group. Simultaneously, a significant improvement in the self-compassion score was observed for the experimental group after the intervention.
Discussion: The results showed progress in the well-being of the PhD students in the experimental group, compared to the control group, after undergoing the self-compassion intervention. This finding suggests the benefit of this intervention in dealing more effectively with tough events that happen to PhD students.
Conclusion: Results from this study shed light on the positive effects of a self-compassion intervention on the well-being of international PhD students. These findings suggest that the
self-compassion intervention could help foreign PhD students accept their negative feelings and take care of themselves in challenging situations. Practicing self-compassion exercises as a routine activity in daily life could lead to significant benefits for international PhD students by, not only improving their mental health, but also increasing the rate of success in their PhD journey.
Keywords: self-companion, well-being, international PhD students, positive psychology intervention
Biographies
Borzoo Pourabdollahian is with the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, 1 rue de la Noë 44321 Nantes cedex 3, France
Email: borzoo.pourabdollahian@univ-nantes.fr
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2020-7802
Jolanta Golan is with the Home Office, Vulcan House Steel, Sheffield, S3 8NR, UK.
Email: Jolanta.Golan@homeoffice.gov.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5965-826X