The effectiveness of two online exercises intended to help individuals experience (1) self-compassion (n ¼ 63) and (2) optimism (n ¼ 55) were compared to a control intervention where participants wrote about an early memory (n ¼ 70). A battery of tests was completed at 1 week following the exercise period, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Both active interventions resulted in significant increases in happiness observable at 6 months and significant decreases in depression sustained up to 3 months. The interventions were examined in relationship to dependency and self-criticism, both related to vulnerability to depression. Individuals high in self-criticism became happier at 1 week and at 1 month in the optimism condition in the repeated measures analysis. A sensitivity test using multi-level modeling failed to replicate this effect. More mature levels of dependence (connectedness) were related to improvements in mood up to 6 months in the self-compassion condition. This study suggests that different personality orientations may show greater gains from particular types of positive psychology interventions.

Self-critical individuals are more likely to become and remain depressed (Blatt, Experiences of depression: Theoretical, research and clinical perspectives, American Psychological Association Press, Washington, DC, 2004). This vulnerability to depression may reflect the association of trait self-criticism with difficulties self-soothing and resisting self-attacks. The current study tested the impact of two self-help interventions designed to reduce depression by improving these two intrapersonal deficits. The first was designed to foster compassionate self-relating whereas the second was designed to foster resilient self-relating. Seventy-five distressed acne sufferers were assigned to one of three conditions: a self-soothing intervention, an attack-resisting intervention, or a control condition. The interventions consisted of daily imagery-based self-talk exercises inspired by Gilbert's (Genes on the couch: Explorations in evolutionary psychotherapy, Brenner-Routledge, Hove, 2000) social mentatlities theory and compassionate mind training (Gilbert and Irons, Compassion: Conceptualisations, research and use in psychotherapy, Brunner-Routledge, London, 2005). In two weeks, the self-soothing intervention lowered shame and skin complaints. The attack-resisting intervention lowered depression, shame, and skin complaints, and was especially effective at lowering depression for self-critics. Implications for the treatment of self-criticism and depression are discussed.

Compassion, Compassionate action, Attachment, Happiness, Self-esteem,

Individuals with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) often evidence comorbid Substance Use Disorders (SUD), resulting in poor outcome. This study is the first to examine treatment outcome for this concurrent disordered population. In this pilot study, 38 individuals diagnosed with BED and SUD participated in a 16-week group Mindfulness-Action Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MACBT). Participants significantly improved on measures of objective binge eating episodes; disordered eating attitudes; alcohol and drug addiction severity; and depression. Taken together, MACBT appears to hold promise in treating individuals with co-existing BED-SUD.

Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are frequently associated with eating and substance use disorders (SUD). Given the high prevalence of concurrent disorders in individuals with eating and substance use problems, it is critical to identify other psychological factors important for consideration in treatment of this population. Individuals (N ¼ 314) seeking treatment for eating disorder (ED) and problematic substance use were administered a self-report questionnaire battery. Regression analyses indicated that depressive (p 5 0.001) and anxiety (p ¼ 0.03) symptoms significantly predicted ED symptom severity. Anxiety (p ¼ 0.01) and self-esteem (p ¼ 0.06; trend) predicted whether or not participants used substances. Greater substance addiction severity was associated with higher anxiety (p ¼ 0.01) and lower self-esteem (p ¼ 0.04). These findings suggest the importance of assessing other mental health problems in individuals with concurrent eating and SUD, and offering strategies to help these individuals cope with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and low self-esteem. Integrated treatment issues are discussed.