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 represent 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 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 years who were 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.