The effect of a brief self-compassion program applied to patients with colorectal cancer on self- compassion and self-care

Self-compassion is considered a powerful internal resource that supports self-care behaviors by promoting a compassionate attitude toward one's physical, psychological, and social needs. In individuals with colorectal cancer, self-compassionate self-care can facilitate adaptation to the illness, strengthen coping mechanisms, reduce negative emotions, and improve recovery and treatment outcomes.This study is a single-center, prospective (pre-test-post-test), two-arm (1:1), randomized controlled experimental design to investigate the effects of a brief self-compassion program applied to colorectal cancer patients on self-compassion and self-care. The study sample consisted of 66 colorectal cancer patients (experimental=33-control=33) hospitalized in the Adult General Surgery Clinic of Ankara Etlik City Hospital General Building between November 15, 2024 and February 15, 2025. Study data were collected using the Patient Identifier Information Form, Self-Compassion Scale and Mindful Self-Care Scale before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the face-to-face Brief Self-Compassion Program. The patients in the experimental group were applied a 3 sessions Brief Self-Compassion Program over one week,while no experimental was applied to the control group. In the analysis of data, frequency, percentage values, mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, Independent Samples t-test and Paired Samples t-test were used. p<0,05 was taken as the significance level. The trial record of the study was prospectively obtained from ClinicalTrils.gov (trial number: NCT06707337). It was found that after the Brief Self-Compassion Program, self-compassion (p=0,004) and self-care (p<0,001) levels of colorectal cancer patients in the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group. In conclusion, the Brief Self-Compassion Program stands out as an effective psychoeducational intervention in increasing self-compassion and self-care in colorectal cancer patients. In this direction, the integration of self-compassion-based practices into clinical care processes is important in terms of supporting the psychological well-being of colorectal cancer patients and strengthening their self-care behaviors. In future studies, the generalizability of these findings should be increased with longer-term follow-up data and multicenter studies in different cancer patient groups.