Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Focused Therapy on reducing of function of self-harm behaviors in Juvenile offenders of Tehran Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center

Abstract

Objective : This research aims to determine the effectiveness of compassion focused therapy (CFT) on reducing self-harming behaviors in juvenile delinquents of Tehran Correction and Rehabilitation Center. Materials and Methods : This is a quasi-experimental study having pretest-posttest-follow-up (PPF) designs with control group. Statistical society of this research included all juvenile delinquents with self-harming behaviors resided in Tehran Correction and Rehabilitation Center in 2016. The studied sample of this research was constituted of the studied society by targeted sampling (with screening) and was randomly substituted in experiment and control groups; totally, 44 self-harming juveniles (24 in experimental group and 20 in control group) constituted the studied sample. The Inventory of statements about Self-Injury, Klonsky and Glenn, 2009, was used for data collection in pretest, posttest and follow-up stage. After the pretest, the experimental group was treated using compassion focused therapy (CFT); this treatment program was held in eight 90-mintue sessions twice per week. After about 3 months of holding posttest, the questionnaire was further implemented on the subjects of the two groups in follow-up stage (because of the drop in subjects, 13 of the experimental group and 9 of the control group completed the questionnaire in this stage). In order to analyze the data, covariance analysis was used in addition to descriptive statistical methods. Results: The results of this research showed that compassion focused therapy (CFT) has been effective on reducing self-harming behaviors of delinquent juveniles in follow-up stage, while the effectiveness of compassion focused therapy on reducing self-harming behaviors is not confirmed in posttest stage.