KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS) 2981-2526 In Press 2026 08 01 The Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Internalized Shame and Self-Criticism in Adolescent Girls with Body Image Concerns The Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Internalized Shame and Self-Criticism in Adolescent Girls with Body Image Concerns 1 11 10.61838/ EN Journal Article 2026 01 06 <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>Objective:</strong> The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on internalized shame and self-criticism in adolescent girls with body image concerns.</p> <p><strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design and a two-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population consisted of 13- to 18-year-old adolescent girls with body image concerns in Tehran in 2026. After administering the Body Image Concern Inventory developed by Littleton, Axsom, and Pury, adolescents who scored above 52 were identified as individuals with body image concerns. Subsequently, 30 eligible participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received Compassion-Focused Therapy based on Gilbert’s protocol (Gilbert, 2009) in eight 60-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention during this period. Data were collected using the Internalized Shame Scale developed by Cook (1993) and the Self-Criticism Scale developed by Gilbert et al. (2004). Data were analyzed using the independent samples t-test, Fisher’s exact test, and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance in IBM SPSS Statistics.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> The results indicated that the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly in terms of demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the results of the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the interaction effect of group and time on internalized shame and self-criticism was statistically significant. Based on mean comparisons, the scores of internalized shame and self-criticism in the experimental group decreased from the pretest to the posttest stage, and this reduction largely remained stable at the two-month follow-up stage, whereas no substantial changes were observed in the control group.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Based on the findings of the study, Compassion-Focused Therapy can reduce internalized shame and self-criticism in adolescent girls with body image concerns.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/jayps/article/download/5404/9905