A Brief Self-compassion Intervention for Body Image, Minority Stress, and Sexual Self-efficacy in Hong Kong Gay Men

August 28, 2026 updated by: Dr Polly MA Haixia, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
This pilot study aims to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Gay men experience greater body dissatisfaction, a stronger drive for muscularity, and heightened body image concerns compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These issues contribute to minority stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, we aim to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief self-compassion writing intervention on body image, minority stress, and sexual self-efficacy among gay men in Hong Kong.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • aged 18 years or above
  • self-identified as a gay man
  • sufficient comprehension of Cantonese
  • currently living in Hong Kong
  • able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • currently experiencing psychosis
  • having an intellectual disability
  • experiencing current suicidal ideation
  • not currently receiving or engaging in regular mental health services in the last 3 months
  • participation in a similar study or receiving similar services in the past 12 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Waiting-list control group
Experimental: Self-compassion interventional group
Interventional group will include 2.5 hour training and 3 weeks self-compassion writing exercise
Behavioral: Brief self-compassion intervention
Participants will be randomly allocated to the self-compassion group and the waiting list control group. The interveintion group will receive a 2.5 self-compassion training, and 3 week self-compassion writing exercise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
self-compassion
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month
Self-compassion will be measured using the 12-item short version of the self-compassion scale (SCS). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Almost Never) to 5 (Almost Always). The total score ranged from 12 to 60, with higher score indicating higher level of self-compassion.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sexuality-based stigma
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Sexuality-based stigma will be measured by the 10-item Chinese men sex with men (MSM) Stigma Scale. Items are rated on a four-point Likert scale from 1 (never) to 4 (many times). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher score indicating higher level of sexuality-based stigma.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Internalized stigma
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Internalized stigma will be measured with the 5-item revised internalized homophobia scale (IHP-R). Items are measured on a five-point Likert scale between 1 (Strongly Disagree) and 5 (Strongly Agree). The total score ranges from 5 to 25, with higher scores indicate greater internalized stigma.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
anxiety
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Anxiety symptoms will be measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of anxiety symptoms
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
self-esteem
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) will be used to measured self-esteem. Items will be rated on a 4-point Liker scale (1 = Strongly agree, 4 = Strongly disagree). The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher score indicating higher level of self-esteem.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
body objectification
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Self-objectification will be measured using the Chinese version of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) - body-surveillance subscale. It consists of eight items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). The total score ranges from 7 to 56, with a higher score indicating a higher level of body surveillance.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
sexual self-efficacy
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
The 14-item Condom Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) will be used to measurement participants' sexual self-efficacy. Items will be measured on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (very unsure) to 5 (very sure). The total score ranging from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicated a higher level of condom use efficacy.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 month
Body shame
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month
Body shame will be measured using the Chinese version of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) - body shame subscale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996). It consists of six items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree), with a higher score indicating a higher level of body shame.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month
Depression
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month
Depression will be measured using the Chinese version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). The total score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of depressive symptoms.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 27, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 28, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 31, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HE-NHS2025/05
  • M2025/06 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Hong Kong Metropolitan University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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