Increasing emotional support for healthcare workers can rebalance clinical detachment and empathy

Austen, Luke

doi:10.3399/bjgp16x685957

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Furthermore, it should be highlighted that negative bonding emotions may in fact be beneficial for providers. This finding stands in contrast with literature on empathy-related processes, where sharing suffering with patients is generally considered to be harmful [49,50]. More research is needed to elucidate the role of negative bonding emotions.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Interacting with patients can elicit a myriad of emotions in health-care providers. This may result in satisfaction or put providers at risk for stress-related conditions such as burnout. The present study attempted to identify emotions that promote provider well-being. Following eudaimonic models of well-being, we tested whether certain types of emotions that reflect fulfilment of basic needs (self-worth, bonding with patients) rather than positive emotions in general (as suggested by hedonic models) are linked to well-being. Specifically, we hypothesized that well-being is associated with positive emotions directed at the self, which reflect self-worth, and positive as well as negative emotions (e.g., worry) directed at the patient, which reflect bonding. However, we expected positive emotions directed at an object/situation (e.g., curiosity for a treatment) to be unrelated to well-being, because they do not reflect fulfilment of basic needs. Methods Fifty eight physicians, nurses, and psychotherapists participated in the study. First, in qualitative interviews, they reported their emotions directed at the self, the patient, or an object/situation during distressing interactions with patients. These emotions were categorised into positive emotions directed towards the self, the patient, and an object/situation, and negative emotions directed towards the patient that reflect bonding. Second, providers completed questionnaires to assess their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The well-being scores of providers who did and did not experience these emotions were compared. Results Providers who experienced positive emotions directed towards the self or the patient had higher well-being than those who did not. Moreover, for the first time, we found evidence for higher well-being in providers reporting negative patient-directed emotions during distressing interactions. There was no difference between providers who did and did not experience positive object/situation-directed emotions. Conclusions These findings may point towards the importance of “eudaimonic” emotions rather than just positive emotions in interactions with patients. Emotions such as contentment with oneself, joy for the patient’s improvement, and, notably, grief or worry for the patient may build a sense of self-worth and strengthen bonding with the patient. This may explain their association with provider well-being.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…By directly addressing the need for resilience in action it is possible for a sustained level of empathy and compassion for patients to be maintained (Austen, 2016).…”

Section: Resilience and Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raising awareness of sickle cell disease for healthcare assistant practice: Nigerian perspectives

Arije-Bosun

Hayes

2017

British Journal of Healthcare Assistants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Raising awareness of Sickle Cell Disease for Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) is important if they are to understand not only key aspects of the condition but also if they are to communicate effectively with people and their families and carers that may be amid acute illness or its potentially devastating aftermath. Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is a life-threatening genetic disorder due to abnormal haemoglobin. The condition is most prevalent in Africa. Over 10%-40% of African people carry sicklecell trait (SCT) leading to an estimated sickle cell prevalence of at least 2%. Nigeria has the largest population of people with SCD in the world. Over 25% of Nigerians are healthy carriers of SCT. Couples with SCT face a high likelihood of passing the condition to their children. This explains why over 150,000 babies with SCD are born in Nigeria every year. Having a working knowledge of the condition and its implications is useful for HCAs who may be working in areas of the UK with high percentages of Nigerian families in local communities such as the South East of England. This article provides a holistic insight into the condition for HCAs and key considerations for everyday clinical practice when working with individuals or families.

show abstract

“…The authors have argued that this downregulation is necessary in order to be able to perform painful medical treatments. Thus, emotional detachment has long been a desired emotional state for physicians ( 5 , 11 ). Through role models and clinical practice, medical students and residents learn to suppress their emotions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Personal detachment and unexamined feelings on the other hand may lead to a loss of a professional sense of meaning, objectification of patients, or cynicism, contributing to burnout and depression ( 5 , 6 , 43 ). Therefore, several researchers have highlighted the importance of finding a balance between emotional involvement and emotional detachment ( 5 , 11 , 25 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotion Transfer, Emotion Regulation, and Empathy-Related Processes in Physician-Patient Interactions and Their Association With Physician Well-Being: A Theoretical Model

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Physicians experience many emotionally challenging situations in their professional lives, influencing their emotional state through emotion contagion or social appraisal processes. Successful emotion regulation is crucial to sustain health, enable well-being, foster resilience, and prevent burnout or compassion fatigue. Despite the alarmingly high rate of stress-related disorders in physicians, affecting not only physician well-being, but also outcomes such as physician performance, quality of care, or patient satisfaction, research on how to deal with emotionally challenging situations in physicians is lacking. Based on extant literature, the present article proposes a theoretical model depicting emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy-related processes and their relation to well-being in provider-client interactions. This model serves as a basis for future research and interventions aiming at improving physician well-being and professional functioning. As a first step, interviews with 21 psychiatrists were conducted. Results of qualitative and initial quantitative analyses provided detailed descriptions of the model's components confirming its usefulness for detecting mechanisms linking emotion regulation and well-being in psychiatrist-patient interactions. Additionally, results lend preliminary support for the validity of the model, suggesting that successful regulation of emotions (i.e., achieving a desired emotional state) elicited by cyclical transfer processes in provider-client interactions is associated with both short- and long-term well-being and resilience. Furthermore, empathy-related emotions and their regulation seem to be linked to well-being. Based on the results of the present study, a prospective longitudinal study is under preparation, which is intended to inform effective interventions targeting emotion transfer, empathy-related processes, and emotion regulation in physicians' professional lives. The model and results are also potentially applicable to other health care and social services providers.

show abstract

Increasing emotional support for healthcare workers can rebalance clinical detachment and empathy

Cited by 13 publications

References 8 publications

Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

Raising awareness of sickle cell disease for healthcare assistant practice: Nigerian perspectives

Emotion Transfer, Emotion Regulation, and Empathy-Related Processes in Physician-Patient Interactions and Their Association With Physician Well-Being: A Theoretical Model

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About