Profiles of self‐compassion and psychological outcomes in cancer patients

Abstract

Objectives The protective role of self‐compassion in cancer patients' psychological outcomes has been confirmed. However, using a composite score of self‐compassion, previous research could not clarify how distinct components of self‐compassion may mutually interact. This study, using a person‐centred approach, aimed to identify profiles of self‐compassion in cancer patients and examined the associations of self‐compassion profiles with sociodemographic and medical variables and psychological outcomes. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 289 patients with heterogeneous cancer types recruited from two hospitals in Xi'an, China. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct profiles of self‐compassion. The Bolck‐Croon‐Hagenaars approach was used to examine how these profiles related to sociodemographic and medical characteristics and psychological outcomes. Results Five profiles of self‐compassion were identified: ‘average self‐compassion’ (54%), ‘high self‐compassion’ (19.4%), ‘low self‐compassion and low self‐coldness’ (11.4%), ‘high self‐compassion and high self‐coldness’ (8%), and ‘average self‐compassion and high self‐coldness’ (7.2%). Patients with the ‘high self‐compassion’ profile tended to be older and report no cancer recurrence, and those with the ‘low self‐compassion and low self‐coldness’ profile tended to be female. Patients with the ‘high self‐compassion’ profile reported the fewest depressive and anxiety symptoms while patients with the ‘average self‐compassion and high self‐coldness’ profile reported the most depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions The study revealed five self‐compassion profiles in cancer patients, which had different psychological outcomes. Future longitudinal research should investigate the causality between self‐compassion profiles and psychological outcomes.

Self-compassion and parenting efficacy among mothers who are breast cancer survivors: Implications for psychological distress

“…self-judgement, isolation and over-identification) reported more symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, regardless of their parenting efficacy. The robustness of the links between self-coldness and symptoms of psychological distress highlights the importance of this negative component of self-compassion and aligns with research finding greater self-compassion associated with less depressive symptoms among lung cancer patients ( Siwik et al, 2022 ) and with fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms in a mixed sample of cancer patients ( Wei et al, 2023 ). Self-coldness can manifest in unhelpful strategies that mothers employ in their parenting roles or more generally, such as over-identifying with, suppressing or avoiding their negative emotions; strategies shown to predict worse psychological symptoms among women receiving radiation therapy for breast cancer ( Guimond et al, 2020 ).…”

RETRACTED: Secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth in oncology nurses: the mediating role of empathy

“…30 Comparatively, oncology patients exhibit heightened empathetic care requirements in contrast to other departments such as Emergency and ICU. 31 Research suggests that nurses with elevated empathy levels are more adept at comprehending patient emotions, fostering harmonious nurse-patient relationships, bolstering personal ful llment, and mitigating professional burnout. 32 Studies further demonstrate the positive impact of nurses' empathy on VPTG.…”

Global psycho‐oncology in low middle‐income countries: Challenges and opportunities

“…Psychosocial research included in this Special Issue identifies individual resiliency factors, such as self‐compassion, in patients with cancer in Xi’An, China 19 and pilot studies are reported demonstrating the feasibility of written exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in Iranian women with breast cancer 20 and of acceptance and commitment therapy for parents of children with a haematological malignancy or a solid tumour. 21 Asuzu et al 22 report a pilot psychosocial intervention group in Nigeria that shows potential in supporting breast cancer patients.…”