Examination of the effectiveness of the self-compassion enhancement program towards adolescents on the fear of self-compassion and the subjective well-being

This research is an experimental study conducted to examine the effect of the Self-Compassion Enhancement Program prepared towards adolescents on the levels of self-compassion, subjective well-being and fear of self-compassion. In the research, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, Adolescent Subjective Well-Being Scale and Fear of Compassion Scale (Fear of Self-Compassion Subscale) are used. The study is organized according to the 2x3 (experimental group / control group x pre-test / post-test / follow-up) split plot design with the aim of determining the effect of Self-Compassion Enhancement Program developed by the researcher on the participants' scores of the self-compassion, subjective well-being and fear of self-compassion. While the Self-Compassion Enhancement Program is the independent variable in the research, participant's scores of Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale, Adolescents Subjective Well-Being Scale and Fear of Compassion Scale (Fear of Self-Compassion Subscale) are considered as dependent variables. The research was conducted with 18 middle school students selected from 6th and 7th grade students who continued their education at a public school in the 2016-2017 school year. The sample of the study was constructed by means of the random assignment to experimental (n= 9) and control (n= 9) groups of the participants whose scores were below the average of group from pre-test measurements made with Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale, Adolescents' Subjective Well-Being Scale and Fear of Compassion Scale (Fear of Self-Compassion Subscale). Immediately after the creation of the experimental and control group, the Self-Compassion Enhancement Program wich lasted 6 weeks was applied to the experimental group and the final test was carried out. Follow-up measurements were also conducted 6 weeks after the last test. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 package program. Friedman Test and Wilcoxon Test were used for intra-group comparisons, Mann Whitney U Test was used for intergroup comparisons. Considering the intergroup comparisons, it was found that there was not a significant difference between pre-test and post-test measurements of the experimental and the control groups' self-compassion, subjective well-being and fear of self-compassion, but it was observed that follow-up measurements differed in favor of the experimental group. It was also found that self-compassion post-test scores of the experimental group were statistically considerably higher than pre-test scores, and monitoring test scores were significantly higher than post-test scores. Again, it was found that post-test scores of fear of self-compassion of the experimental group were significantly lower than pre-test scores, and follow-up test scores were statistically considerably lower than post-test scores. When subjective well-being scores of the experimental group were examined, it was found that the post-test scores were statistically significantly higher than pre-test scores and there was no significant difference between follow-up test scores and post-test scores. In spite of the findings obtained from experimental group, there was not a significant difference between pre-test, post-test and follow-up measurements of self-compassion and subjective well-being. Finally, it was found that post-test scores of fear of self-compassion of the control group were statistically significantly higher than pre-test scores and follow-up test scores were statistically considerably higher than pre-test scores.