Table 3.
The structure and content of the youth COMPASS intervention and related coaching activities
| Core modules | Aims | Levels (L1 to L3) and themes | Coach’s Questionsa | Examples of exercises and activities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0. Introduction | Brief orientation to the online intervention | Getting started: Introduction (text & video)/Be Your Own Life’s Hero (3 videos) | A brief introduction to the Youth COMPASS program (worksheet) | |
| 1. Direction For Life ACT processes: Finding personal interests and goals |
Recognition of activities that provide energy, well-being, and joy. Examining possible obstacles in achieving them. Taking actions and concrete steps toward personally valued goals. |
Introduction L1: What is important in my life? L2: What do I want to achieve in my life? L3: What are the barriers to achieving goals? |
What is important to you? What could you do today or tomorrow to add joy and energy in your life? Do it! | Text, video, and comic strip L1: Strength Cards L2: Goal Cards L3: BOLDb |
| 2. Me And My Mind ACT-process: Promotingawareness of self and acceptance and cognitive defusion skills |
Exploring automatic thoughts and feelings. Acceptance of thoughts, feelings, and memories as they are. Developing awareness of the self-as-context. Cognitive defusion, i.e., taking an observer’s perspective toward one’s own thoughts and feelings. |
Introduction L1: Me and my mind L2: Watching one’s own mind L3: Practicing defusion skills |
You can choose how to relate to your own thoughts. Try to act differently from what your mind suggests. See what happens. What could you do that provided you energy this week? |
Video: Is The Mind So Clever? Video Thoughts About Myself L1: Thoughts As L2: Soap Bubbles L3: Thoughts In My Pocket |
| 3. “Stalking Myself” ACT-process: Being in the present and practicing acceptance |
Taking a new stance on my thoughts and feelings. Learning how to be mindful here and now and applying these skills to everyday life. | Introduction L1: Observing one’s senses L2: Being in this moment (NOW) L3: Applying skills to everyday life |
Tell us what kinds of skills—related to being in the moment—you have used in your everyday life. What kinds of consequences did you observe while using them? | Video and comic strip: Feelings in My Body L1: Before You Snap Out L2: Mindfulness L3: Through Music |
| 4. Me and Myself ACT-process: Recognizing the self as a context and providing self-compassion |
Perceptions of oneself and learning to take a different perspective to one’s thoughts and emotions and applying these skills to one’s own life | Introduction L1: Who am I and how do I act L2: Changing one’s perspective L3: Getting rid of stories of oneself |
Kindness toward self is important. How can you treat yourself kindly (in a similar manner as your friend who has difficulties)? | Text, video, and comic strip L1:You in Social Media L2: Sky and Weather L3: Me and My Blunders |
| 5. Me and Other People ACT-process: Applying important actions to social life and being compassionate toward others |
Promoting good relationships with friends and other people and applying ACT-based skills to social life. | Introduction L1: Being a friend to yourself and others L2: Living in the world L3: Facing challenging life situations |
What kinds of good things have you done for other people in the past week, or what could you do next week? | Text, video, and comic strip L1: Critique Hurts L2: Change the World L3: Preparing For Stressful Events |
Coach’s Questionsa: All weekly contacts were started using two basic questions: (1) How are you doing? (2) Please rate your mood over the last week on a scale from 4–10. These were followed by the third question presented above. bBOLD is an exercise by Ciarrochi et al. (2012)