Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: the implications of treating oneself kindly

Contributing factors to secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth in therapists

Alongside the recognized potential negative repercussions of working as a psychological therapist, there is growing interest in the potential positive impacts of engaging in such work. The current study used a cross-sectional online survey design to explore the impact of a range of demographic, work-related, and compassion-related factors on levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) in an international sample of 359 psychological therapists. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that burnout, lower levels of self-compassion, having a personal trauma history, reporting a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, and being female were the statistically significant contributors to STS scores, explaining 40.8% of the variance, F(9, 304) = 23.2, p <.001. For VPTG, higher compassion satisfaction, higher self-compassion, higher STS, a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, fewer years qualified, being male, and having a personal trauma history were all statistically significant contributors, explaining 27.3% of the variance, F (10, 304) = 11.37, p <.001. The findings illustrate the potential risk and protective factors for developing STS and clarify factors that may increase the likelihood of experiencing VPTG. Implications for psychological therapists and the organizations and institutions for which they work are considered along with potential directions for future research in the discussion.

Impact of mindfulness-based and health self-management interventions on mindfulness, self-compassion, and physical activity in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: A secondary analysis of the SCD-Well randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Older adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD) have a higher risk of dementia. Reducing this risk through behavioral interventions, which can increase emotional well-being (mindfulness and compassion) and physical activity, is crucial in SCD.

METHODS

SCD-Well is a multicenter, observer-blind, randomized, controlled, superiority trial. Three hundred forty-seven participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 72.7 [6.9] years; 64.6% women) were recruited from memory clinics in four European sites to assess the impact of an 8-week caring mindfulness-based approach for seniors (CMBAS) and a health self-management program (HSMP) on mindfulness, self-compassion, and physical activity.

RESULTS

CMBAS showed a significant within-group increase in self-compassion from baseline to post-intervention and both a within- and between-group increase to follow-up visit (24 weeks). HSMP showed a significant within- and between-group increase in physical activity from baseline to post-intervention and to follow-up visit.

DISCUSSION

Non-pharmacological interventions can differentially promote modifiable factors linked to healthy aging in older adults with SCD.

Mechanisms of improvement in generalized anxiety disorder: A mediation and moderated mediation analysis from a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with the lowest treatment response rate among all anxiety disorders. Understanding mechanisms of improvement may help to develop more effective and personalized treatments.

AIM

The objective of the study was to investigate different improvement mechanisms in the treatment of individuals diagnosed with GAD.

DESIGN

We reported data from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated three different GAD treatments (mindfulness-based intervention, BMT; fluoxetine, FLX; and an active comparison group, QoL) for 8 weeks.

METHOD

Mediation analyses were performed evaluating the association between worry symptoms at baseline and anxiety scoring at the endpoint, considering self-compassion or mindfulness or its dimensions at mid-treatment as mediators for the whole sample (assessing GAD improvement mechanism) and the different interventions as moderators.

RESULTS

Contrary to mindfulness state scoring (C = .06; 95% CI = -.05 to .20), self-compassion (C = .11; 95% CI = .01 to .28) and non-judgement of inner experience (C = .10; 95% CI = .004 to .21) mediated the association between worry symptoms at baseline and anxiety at the endpoint. When comparing BMT to FLX, the intervention modality did not moderate these associations.

CONCLUSION

Self-compassion and non-judgement of inner experience seem to be essential targets in GAD treatment, contrary to the mindfulness state itself. Although no difference was found considering the intervention modality, future research may assess how to boost these dimensions in specific treatments for GAD.

Nurses' self-esteem, self-compassion and psychological resilience during COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

This study aimed to identify self-esteem, self-compassion and psychological resilience among staff nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional survey design.

METHODS

The study was conducted on January 2022 (during the third wave in Qatar). Anonymous data were collected through an online survey using Microsoft forms from 300 nurses in 14 health facilities in Qatar. Socio-demographic information, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form were used to collect the data. Correlation, t-test and ANOVA analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Participants expressed a high level of resilience, self-esteem and self-compassion. Resilience scores were positively and significantly correlated with self-esteem and self-compassion. The education level of nurses was a statistically significant contributing factor to self-esteem and resilience.

Self‐compassion and savouring buffer the impact of the first year of the COVID‐19 on PhD students' mental health

Doctoral students face many challenges that were reinforced by COVID-19-related lockdowns. We assessed this impact over 1 year on doctoral students' depression, anxiety, stress, well-being, and doctoral engagement. We also investigated the potential protective role of self-compassion and savouring on mental health, well-being, and doctoral engagement. A total of 134 PhD students from several French universities responded to the three-time points of this longitudinal study. The results showed a significant increase in depression, anxiety and stress and a significant decrease in well-being and doctoral engagement during the first year of the pandemic. Self-compassion and savouring predicted lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and higher levels of well-being over time. Savouring alone predicted higher doctoral engagement over time. This study reveals the significant impact of the pandemic year on the mental health of doctoral students, and the relevance of self-compassion and savouring as psychological resources to cope with adversity.

Self-compassion, coping strategies and gender differences in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy practitioners during COVID-19: Lessons learnt

Effective coping strategies can protect against the adverse effects of stress. This study investigated self-compassion's ability to predict approach and avoidance coping in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy practitioners (PCPPs) during COVID-19, and whether this differed between genders. To date, no research has investigated this relationship, despite positive associations being drawn in other populations. Three hundred and nineteen PCPPs completed an online survey including the Brief COPE and Self-Compassion Short Form. Self-compassion significantly predicted greater use of approach coping and reduced use of avoidance coping. The predictive ability of self-compassion was slightly better in female practitioners. Self-judgement arose as a prominent subscale of self-compassion across genders, increasing both approach and avoidance coping. Implications for future research and practice are discussed, concerning barriers to self-compassion and the requirement of therapeutic programmes and psychoeducation as a prerequisite for effective coping strategies in the PCPP population.

As long as you are self-compassionate, you will never walk alone. The interplay between self-compassion and rejection sensitivity in predicting loneliness

Research shows that one of the key predictors of loneliness is cognitive-affective attitude towards oneself. Until recently, researchers' interest in this area was focused mainly on self-esteem. Lately, however, researchers looking for the antecedents of loneliness turned their attention to a different self-attitude variable-namely, self-compassion. The aim of the current study was to extend the existing research on the self-compassion-loneliness link by investigating rejection sensitivity as a potential underlying mechanism and moderator of the relationship between these variables. A sample of 204 participants from Poland, aged 18-70 years (M = 28.36, SD = 9.19), completed a set of three questionnaires: the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. The study revealed that rejection sensitivity was both a mediator and a moderator between self-compassion and loneliness. These results are discussed in the context of the cognitive-affective mechanisms of loneliness and the protective functions of self-compassion.