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Mascaro JS, Palmer PK, Willson M, Ash MJ, Florian MP, Srivastava M, Sharma A, Jarrell B, Walker ER, Kaplan DM, Palitsky R, Cole SP, Grant GH, Raison CL. The Language of Compassion: Hospital Chaplains' Compassion Capacity Reduces Patient Depression via Other-Oriented, Inclusive Language. Mindfulness (N Y) 2023; 14:2485-2498. [PMID: 38170105 PMCID: PMC10760975 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01907-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Although hospital chaplains play a critical role in delivering emotional and spiritual care to a broad range of both religious and non-religious patients, there is remarkably little research on the best practices or "active ingredients" of chaplain spiritual consults. Here, we examined how chaplains' compassion capacity was associated with their linguistic behavior with hospitalized inpatients, and how their language in turn related to patient outcomes. Methods Hospital chaplains (n = 16) completed self-report measures that together were operationalized as self-reported "compassion capacity." Next, chaplains conducted consultations with inpatients (n = 101) in five hospitals. Consultations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC). We used exploratory structural equation modeling to identify associations between chaplain-reported compassion capacity, chaplain linguistic behavior, and patient depression after the consultation. Results We found that compassion capacity was significantly associated with chaplains' LIWC clout scores, a variable that reflects a confident leadership, inclusive, and other-oriented linguistic style. Clout scores, in turn, were negatively associated with patient depression levels controlling for pre-consult distress, indicating that patients seen by chaplains displaying high levels of clout had lower levels of depression after the consultation. Compassion capacity exerted a statistically significant indirect effect on patient depression via increased clout language. Conclusions These findings inform our understanding of the linguistic patterns underlying compassionate and effective chaplain-patient consultations and contribute to a deeper understanding of the skillful means by which compassion may be manifest to reduce suffering and enhance well-being in individuals at their most vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Suite 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patricia K. Palmer
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Madison Willson
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Suite 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Marcia J. Ash
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Meha Srivastava
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Suite 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Anuja Sharma
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Suite 507, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Bria Jarrell
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Reisinger Walker
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Deanna M. Kaplan
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Roman Palitsky
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Steven P. Cole
- Research Design Associates, Inc, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
| | - George H. Grant
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Charles L. Raison
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA, USA
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No One Dies Alone: Addressing a Gap in Medical Education. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2023; 12:24-26. [PMID: 36816161 PMCID: PMC9924648 DOI: 10.55729/2000-9666.1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Medical school curriculum typically consists of didactical experiences with minimal patient interaction for junior students followed by clinical experiences with supplementary didactics for senior students. Due to the focus on understanding basic medical concepts and disease pathophysiology during the first few years of medical school, students have limited exposure to real-life clinical situations that involve complex, difficult concepts such as death and dying. This leaves students ill-prepared to contribute meaningfully to patients' end-of-life (EOL) care that they will inevitably encounter during their clerkship years. We believe that students would benefit from increased exposure to these difficult situations through structured educational environments, such as the No One Dies Alone Program. In this way, students can become more familiar with the difficult concepts of death and dying, learn how to make meaningful contributions in their patients' EOL care, and ultimately provide patients with the "good death" they deserve.
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Barker ME, Crowfoot G, King J. Empathy development and volunteering for undergraduate healthcare students: A scoping review. NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 2022; 116:105441. [PMID: 35751985 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Empathy in healthcare benefits patients and healthcare providers. However, empathy decline is a recent trend within healthcare education. There is a paucity of literature that investigates the impact of volunteering on the empathy levels of undergraduate healthcare students. This scoping review explores the literature regarding empathy and volunteering for healthcare students. DESIGN The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews guided this study. DATA SOURCES The electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, JBI, Cochrane, PubMed, PsychInfo, and PsychNurses were searched from January 2001 to August 2021. The original search was developed in MEDLINE and then adapted to the other databases. REVIEW METHODS This scoping review used the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. The search retrieved a total of 310 articles. Following deduplication, 271 articles were reviewed by title and abstract. Thirty articles were reviewed in full text with twelve articles meeting the criteria for inclusion. Included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). RESULTS Five qualitative, four quantitative and three mixed method studies were included. A variety of volunteering interventions for undergraduate healthcare students were identified from countries including the United States of America, Singapore, Australia, and Brazil. Thematic analysis identified that volunteer undergraduate healthcare students practiced and developed empathy, and experienced professional and personal development. CONCLUSIONS Volunteering interventions were primarily in a service-learning modality within community health and palliative healthcare settings. Inconsistencies exist in empathy definitions and empirical empathy measurement. There is a need for more research that explores empathy development through volunteer activities in acute care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Ellen Barker
- Central Coast Local Health District, Gosford, NSW 2250, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
| | - Gary Crowfoot
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
| | - Jennie King
- Central Coast Local Health District, Gosford, NSW 2250, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
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