The Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy in Social Media Disorders, Depression, and Imposter Syndrome in Medical Students with Academic Burnout

Bagheri Sheykhangafshe  F; Savabi Niri  V; Azizrousta  S; Bourbour  Z; Farahani  H

doi:10.18502/jmed.v20i4.21730

Bagheri Sheykhangafshe F PhD, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Savabi Niri V M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran.
Azizrousta S M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran.
Bourbour Z M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch, Garmsar, Iran.
Farahani H Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmed.v20i4.21730

Keywords: Compassion-Focused Therapy, Social Media Disorders, Depression, Imposter Syndrome, Academic Burnout

Abstract

Introduction: Academic burnout, as one of the major challenges in educational systems, has numerous negative effects on students’ mental health and academic performance. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on problematic social media use, depression, and impostor syndrome among students experiencing academic burnout.

Materials & Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of medical students in Tehran Province during the 2023-2024 academic year. Thirty-four students who scored above 45 on the Academic Burnout Questionnaire were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n= 17) or the control group (n= 17). The research instruments included questionnaires measuring academic burnout, problematic social media use, depression, and impostor syndrome. The intervention group participated in eight 90-minute sessions (one session per week) of compassion-focused therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA in SPSS-27.

Results: The findings indicated that compassion-focused therapy significantly reduced problematic social media use (F = 43.07, p < 0.001, η² = 0.59), depression (F = 57.20, p < 0.001, η² = 0.66), and impostor syndrome (F = 35.92, p < 0.001, η² = 0.55) among students experiencing academic burnout.

Conclusion: This study's findings demonstrate the high effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy in improving mental health among students suffering from academic burnout. These results could serve as a foundation for designing and implementing intervention programs in educational environments to prevent the emergence and spread of psychological problems among students.