Future directions are provided for compassion research, including the need for improved methodological rigor, larger scale RCTs, increased specificity on the targets of compassion, and examination of compassion across the lifespan. Although further research is warranted, the current state of evidence highlights the potential benefits of compassion-based interventions on a range of outcomes.
To evaluate the acceptability and potential utility of a small package of online resources designed to improve self-compassion for mothers of infants. A within-groups repeated-measures study design was used. A community sample of 262 mothers who were ≤ 24 months post-partum were given access to a set of online resources (two videos plus a tip sheet) that outlined simple techniques for increasing self-compassion drawn from compassion-focused therapy (CFT). Participants completed pre-intervention assessment, followed by post-intervention assessment 1 month later. Assessment included self-report measures of self-compassion, psychological flexibility and shame in the mothering role; symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) following childbirth; subjective breastfeeding experience; and satisfaction with infant feeding. Overall, 49.8% of participants accessed some or all of the resources, with lack of time the most common barrier to use. The vast majority (96%) agreed that self-compassion is helpful for women experiencing birth or breastfeeding difficulties. t tests examined change in scores from pre- to post-intervention, indicating increases in self-compassion, decreases in PTS symptoms (intrusion, hyperarousal and total PTS score) and improved subjective breastfeeding experience as well as overall satisfaction with breastfeeding. There were no changes in scores for psychological flexibility, shame, or satisfaction with general infant feeding. This pilot study supports the acceptability and potential utility of self-compassion resources, drawn from CFT, to support mothers' well-being in the first years of their baby's life. This novel approach to maternal health intervention warrants further exploration, development and testing in future research.
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented detrimental impact on mental health in people around the world. It is important therefore to explore factors that may buffer or accentuate the risk of mental health problems in this context. Given that compassion has numerous benefits for mental health, emotion regulation, and social relationships, this study examines the buffering effects of different flows of compassion (for self, for others, from others) against the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, and social safeness. Methods The study was conducted in a sample of 4057 adult participants from the general community population, collected across 21 countries from Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Participants completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, compassion (for self, for others, from others), depression, anxiety, stress, and social safeness. Results Perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower scores in social safeness. Self-compassion and compassion from others were associated with lower psychological distress and higher social safeness. Compassion for others was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas compassion from others moderated the effects of fears of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions Our findings highlight the universal protective role of compassion, in particular self-compassion and compassion from others, in promoting resilience by buffering against the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2.
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