A Brief Self-compassion Intervention for Body Image, Minority Stress, and Sexual Self-efficacy in Hong Kong Gay Men
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Brief self-compassion intervention.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Gay Men. Basic parameters: from 18 years · Male.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Hong Kong
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This pilot study aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.
Detailed description
Gay men experience greater body dissatisfaction, a stronger drive for muscularity, and heightened body image concerns compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These issues contribute to minority stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, we aim to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.
Interventions
- Behavioral Brief self-compassion intervention
Participants will be randomly allocated to the self-compassion group and the waiting list control group. The interveintion group will receive a 2.5 self-compassion training, and 3 week self-compassion writing exercise.
Primary outcome measures
- self-compassion [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month]
Secondary outcome measures (8)
- Sexuality-based stigma [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- Internalized stigma [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- anxiety [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- self-esteem [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- body objectification [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- sexual self-efficacy [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month]
- Body shame [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month]
- Depression [Time frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- aged 18 years or above
- self-identified as a gay man
- sufficient comprehension of Cantonese
- currently living in Hong Kong
- able to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- currently experiencing psychosis
- having an intellectual disability
- experiencing current suicidal ideation
- not currently receiving or engaging in regular mental health services in the last 3 months
- participation in a similar study or receiving similar services in the past 12 months
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Hong Kong · 1 center
- Hong Kong Metropolitan University — Hong Kong
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07369661 · HE-NHS2025/05 · M2025/06