Effectiveness of Compassion Therapy on Psychological Well-being and Feelings of Shame and Guilt in Underachieving Gifted Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: Attention to the psychological problems of underachieving gifted students is crucial; thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion therapy training on the psychological well-being and feelings of shame and guilt in underachieving gifted adolescents.

Methods and Materials: This research was semi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design, including a control group. The statistical population consisted of all female students from the first-grade high schools of the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents in Isfahan in the academic year 2022-2023. From this population, a sample was purposefully selected based on the criteria for underachievement and was then randomly assigned to the experimental (15 individuals) and control (15 individuals) groups. The experimental group received compassion therapy intervention (Gilbert, 2009) over the course of one month, spanning 8 sessions of 90 minutes each. The research instruments included the Academic Achievement Questionnaire (Salehi, 2014), Psychological Well-being (Ryff, 2002), and Feelings of Guilt (Eysenck, 2007). Mixed analysis of variance was used for data analysis.

Findings: The findings indicated that the mean scores of the post-test and follow-up for psychological well-being in the experimental group showed a significant increase (F = 103.859, P < 0.001), and the scores for feelings of guilt showed a significant decrease (F = 84.716, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The compassion therapy program can positively impact the enhancement of psychological well-being and the improvement of feelings of guilt in underachieving gifted adolescents.