Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Depiction of Health 2008-9058 17 2 2026 06 20 Comparison of the Effectiveness of Compassion-Based and Spirituality-Based Interventions on Emotion Regulation in Individuals with Suicidal Ideation: A Quasi Experimental Study 170 187 10.34172/doh.2026.14 EN Esmaeil Jarrahi https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2958-7618 Marzieh Alivandi Vafa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1197-9598 Behzad Shalchi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5918-2919 Alireza Agdami Baher Journal Article 10.34172/doh.2026.14 2025 11 25 2026 06 22 Background. Suicide and its associated consequences outcomes a major mental health challenge globally and within Iran. Increasing rates highlight the urgent need for effective preventive and therapeutic interventions. Psychological factors such as emotion dysregulation, play a key role in the persistence and intensification of suicidal ideation. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a self-compassion–based and spirituality-based interventions on emotion regulation in individuals with suicidal ideation. Methods. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group and a four-month follow-up. The study was conducted in 2025 in Sahand, Iran. Participants included 45 individuals aged (18–44) experiencing suicidal ideation, selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two intervention groups (self-compassion–based and spirituality-based) or a control group. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-Short). The self-compassion was delivered over eight sessions, while the spirituality-based intervention consisted of twelve sessions. Data analysis was performed using a mixed-design multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures in SPSS v.27. Results. Findings indicated that the main effect of the group on composite emotion regulation variables was significant (F=6.085, P<0.001, η²=0.225). The main effect of time (F=53.402, P<0.001, η²=0.846) and the group-by-time interaction effect (F=17.898, P<0.001, η²=0.642) were also significant. Both interventions significantly increased adaptive emotion regulation and decreased maladaptive strategies from pretest to posttest, with these improvements maintained at the follow-up. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that the self-compassion intervention was more effective than the control group for both types of regulation (P<0.01), whereas the spirituality-based intervention demonstrated its strongest impact on reducing maladaptive strategies. No significant differences were observed between the two intervention groups (P>0.05). Conclusion. Both self-compassion-based and spirituality-based interventions are effective in improving emotion regulation and reducing maladaptive strategies in individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. These results suggest that psychological approaches rooted in self-compassion and spirituality can serve as valuable complementary options within suicide preventive and treatment programs for at-risk populations. Research Insight · The effectiveness of both self-compassion–based and spirituality-based interventions in enhancing emotion regulation among individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. · A sustained increase in adaptive strategies and a corresponding reduction in maladaptive strategies from pretest to posttest, with clinical gains maintained at follow-up. · The effectiveness of the self-compassion–based intervention in bolstering adaptive emotion regulation strategies among at-risk individuals. · The effectiveness of the spirituality-based intervention in reducing maladaptive emotion regulation strategies among individuals with suicidal ideation. · Self-compassion–based and spirituality-based interventions improve emotion regulation in individuals with suicidal ideation through different yet complementary psychological pathways.