Group cognitive behavioural therapy with compassion training for depression in a Japanese community: a single-group feasibility study

Objective Depression is a representative mental problem, and more than 350 million people are suffering in the world. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in individual or group formats is mainly recommended in major guidelines. However, patients with high self-criticism have a poor response to CBT. To treat such patients, psychotherapies focusing on compassion are gaining attention. Although trials have begun to be reported, there are relatively few studies examining the effectiveness of group CBT with compassion work for managing depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability and the estimate effect size of group CBT with compassion training for future controlled studies.