The Use of Common Humanity Scenarios to Promote Compassion in Healthcare Workers

Abstract

The importance of compassion in healthcare is universally acknowledged. However, the factors that enhance compassion are not well understood. The perception of common humanity has been proposed as a prosocial perspective that leads to unbiased universal compassion. There has been a lack of research into the relationship between common humanity and compassion. This study examined the use of common humanity scenarios to promote compassion in healthcare workers. Seventy-five healthcare workers were randomly assigned to two groups and shown a different common humanity scenario. The healthcare workers were asked what effect viewing the videos had on their perception of common humanity and compassion. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Four main themes emerged: (a) common bonds; (b) people have the same needs; (c) no one wants to suffer; (d) seeing strangers helping others is motivating. Healthcare workers reported feelings of care, concern, and compassion after viewing common humanity scenarios. IMPLICATIONS. Viewing common humanity scenarios appears to lead to enhanced feelings of connection to others and compassion in healthcare workers.. Using common humanity scenarios may be a useful compassion training strategy in healthcare.. Further research is necessary to gain a better understanding of how viewing common humanity material influences compassion.

Moral barrier to compassion: How perceived badness of sufferers dampens observers’ compassionate responses

“…As the historian Katharina von Kellenbach reported in her book The Mark of Cain, a brief eye contact between a Nazi perpetrator and a dying Jewish victim "humanized him [the victim] and made this scene unbearable to Zakis [the Nazi perpetrator]" (Von Kellenbach, 2013). Empirical studies have shown that paying attention to the feelings of stigmatized victims (e.g., individuals living with HIV) reduces desert-based prejudice (Batson et al, 1997;Zaki, 2019), and narratives on common humanity could promote compassion in healthcare workers (Baguley, Dev, Fernando, & Consedine, 2020;Ling, Olver, & Petrakis, 2020;Ling, Petrakis, & Olver, 2021;Sinclair et al, 2018). It would be important to examine if similar approaches would be effective for removing the moral barriers of compassion.…”

Moral barrier to compassion: How perceived badness of sufferers dampens observers' compassionate responses

“…As the historian Katharina von Kellenbach reported in her book The Mark of Cain, a brief eye contact between a Nazi perpetrator and a dying Jewish victim "humanized him [the victim] and made this scene unbearable to Zakis [the Nazi perpetrator]" (Von Kellenbach, 2013). Empirical studies have shown that paying attention to the feelings of stigmatized victims (e.g., individuals living with HIV) reduces desert-based prejudice (Batson et al, 1997;Zaki, 2019), and narratives on common humanity could promote compassion in healthcare workers (Baguley, Dev, Fernando, & Consedine, 2020;Ling, Olver, & Petrakis, 2020;Ling, Petrakis, & Olver, 2021;Sinclair et al, 2018). It would be important to examine if similar approaches would be effective for removing the moral barriers of compassion.…”

FADIGA POR COMPAIXÃO EM PROFISSIONAIS DE SAÚDE NA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19: Uma revisão integrativa

“…Tendo em vista que empatia e compaixão, dimensões do cuidado fundamentais ao profissional de saúde, podem ser desenvolvidas, além de relacionarem-se à autocompaixão. Alguns estudos (Ling et al, 2021;Mills, 2020)…”

“…Se empatia, sentimento aflorado pela dor do outro, e compaixão, desejo de aliviar o sofrimento alheio, são elementos basilares a toda pessoa que anseia por tornar-se um bom profissional de ajuda (Ling et al, 2021;Mills, 2020), a disponibilidade ao cuidado implica em afetar-se. Todavia, no alto grau de exposição a estressores traumáticos -como o sofrimento de outrem -há o risco do cuidador formal internalizar o que os pacientes sentem, o que pode comprometer a sua Qualidade de Vida Profissional (QVP), bem como o cuidado realizado por ele (Barbosa et al, 2014;Lago, 2008;Lago & Codo, 2013;Stamm, 2010;Toledo et al, 2015).…”