The Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Intervention on Impulsivity among the Students Experienced Romantic Breakup

The present study aims at exploring the effectiveness and continuity of the effect of self-compassion intervention on the impulsivity of students who have experienced a romantic breakup. We used a semi-experimental research design with pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up with a control group. The population includes all the students who were studying at 98-99 in Shiraz universities. We selected 27 students (12 in the experimental and 15 in the control group) by convenience sampling, in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. To gather the data, Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale were used. In the experimental group, Neff’s self-compassion intervention was conducted (in eight sixty-minute sessions), but there was no intervention in the control group. Finally, the data were analyzed by repeated measure analysis of variance. Results demonstrated that self-compassion intervention was effective in decreasing impulsivity in the students who have experienced romantic breakups; the effectiveness also continued in the one-month follow-up. Self-compassion could decrease impulsivity by reducing the unpleasant feeling stemming from falling the self-worth and self-esteem occurring after a romantic breakup. It also decreases impulsivity by increasing self-awareness and self-control.