An Online Self-compassion Intervention for Anxiety and Depression in Fathers of Infants: A Feasibility Study

An Online Self-compassion Intervention for Anxiety and Depression in Fathers of Infants: A Feasibility Study

To investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an online mindfulness and self-compassion intervention for the mental health in fathers experiencing paternal perinatal depression (PPD).

The pilot non-RCT will be assessed using an online survey and semi-structured individual interviews. Preliminary effectiveness measures include self-compassion, emotion regulation, resilience, parenting sense of competence, parental stress, marital satisfaction, insomnia, generalized anxiety, and PPD measured at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Mixed-effects models will test changes between groups, while directed content analysis will be employed for qualitative data.

Inclusion Criteria:

• aged 18 years or above
• the biological father who is expecting or the biological father of infants within 24 months old
• experienced mild to moderate anxiety (5 ≤ GAD ≤14) or depression symptoms (5≤ PHQ ≤ 19)
• sufficient comprehension of Cantonese
• currently live in Hong Kong
• able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• currently experiencing psychosis
• having an intellectual disability
• experiencing current suicidal ideation
• participation in a similar study or received similar services in the past year