Inglese (materiale per l'esame), Appunti di Lingua Inglese

Compassion for others and self-compassion: levels, correlates, and relationship with psychological well-being

Authors and publication details

Authors: Angélica López, Robbert Sanderman, Adelita V. Ranchor, Maya J. Schroevers

When: 18 July 2017

Where: Online

Aim of the study

This study aimed to explore the mean levels of compassion for others and self-compassion in the general population, their interrelationship, and their association with psychological well-being and demographic factors.

Sample

320 adults completed a series of standardized self-report questionnaires to assess compassion for others, self-compassion, depressive symptoms, negative affect, and positive affect.

Results

Results showed that compassion for others and self-compassion were not significantly related. Self-compassion was more strongly related to negative and positive indicators of affect than compassion for others. Gender and social class are the two demographic factors that affect self-compassion and compassion for others. Compassion for others was higher in women than in men, and in low-educated individuals compared to higher-educated individuals. In contrast, self-compassion was lower in low-educated individuals. Self-compassion was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and negative affect, and higher levels of positive affectivity, while compassion for others was not significantly related to psychological well-being.

Introduction

Only a few studies have explored the relationship between compassion and self-compassion. Compassion for others (Goetz) is a distinct emotion rooted in evolution and evolved as part of a caregiving response to vulnerable offspring, promoting cooperative relations. It is the emotion that arises seeing someone suffering and that motivates a desire to help. It can be a state (brief and context-related compassion) or a trait (the tendency to experience compassion across different situations). Self-compassion (Neff) is an attitude related to every personal experience of suffering. It entails 3 different components: In an fMRI research, it was found that self-compassion engages similar brain regions as expressing compassion towards others. They both seem to be beneficial for individuals' psychological well-being.

Measures

Compassion for others, self-compassion, depressive symptoms, and negative and positive affect have been measured, in a follow-up assessment in the Netherlands, through a questionnaire package sent home.

Discussion

The participants reported experiencing self-compassion only sometimes; this might be explained by a difficulty in expressing compassion towards oneself. In a qualitative study, individuals with depression reported that being self-compassionate seemed difficult and challenging; this might also be the case for non-depressed individuals. Moreover, highly self-critical people could experience a fear of being self-compassionate and have difficulties in developing self-compassion. An alternative explanation for our findings is that it is socially desirable to report compassion for others more so than for oneself, especially in a western country where positive evaluations by others are highly valued.

In the results, compassion for others and self-compassion were not significantly related. This suggests that it is possible to be compassionate towards others but not towards oneself, or vice versa. Compassion for others (a one-dimension construct) seems to be important for social purposes; self-compassion (a multi-dimensional construct) seems to require more advanced cognitive processing and is limited to the individual.

Self-compassion showed to be associated with negative states (e.g., lower depressed symptoms by protecting against the increase of self-judging responses) and positive states (e.g., experiencing understanding and reassuring during personal distress or promoting healthy behaviors during less threatening situations). Low educated individuals reported higher compassion for others: the association between social class and compassion for others was mediated by the perception of distress in others, supporting the idea that lower-class individuals, who often live in more threatening environments, initiate cooperative relationships as a strategy to deal with external threats. Self-compassion was found to be lower in lower-educated individuals. It is possible that lower-educated individuals have difficulty understanding the scale items.

Questions

Which demographic factors affect the two constructs?

Women and lower-educated individuals reported to be more compassionate for others than their counterparts. Lower-educated individuals reported to have less self-compassion than higher-educated individuals.

Which explanations have been given for the lower level of self-compassion in the sample?

One explanation is the social desirability: it is more socially desirable to report compassion for others than for oneself. For people with depression, it is hard to have self-compassion, but also non-depressed people can find it hard: their highly self-critical attitude can be an obstruction to feel self-compassion.

Depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviour among college students: comparisons pre-COVID-19 and during the pandemic

Authors and publication details

Authors: Margaret McLafferty, Natasha Brown, Rachel McHugh, Caoimhe Ward, Ailis Stevenson, Louise McBride, John Brady, Anthony J. Bjourson, Siobhan M. O’Neill, Colum P. Walsh, Elaine K. Murray

Published in a scientific magazine called Psychiatry Research Communications.

Available online: 6th of November 2021

Introduction

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on the 11th of March 2020 following a significant rise in cases globally. The restrictions have caused considerable social and economic disruption. Fear around contracting COVID-19, increased unemployment, financial losses, and social isolation have caused concern regarding the impact on mental health. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI), high incidences of anxiety (20%) and depression (28%) have been reported among the general population from the start of the pandemic.

International findings have repeatedly identified university students as a vulnerable group more susceptible to experiencing adverse psychological effects because of COVID-19: the move to an online learning environment, uncertainties around assessments, and reduced socialization may have a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Before the pandemic, student’s persistent mental health was already a cause for worry all over the world. From 2010, research found out that students with mental health issues have increased by five times. The most common problems reported were depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and suicidality. These mental health issues generally begin in the sensitive period that goes from 18 to 25 years old because young adults in this period develop their identity, they must face big transitions and they must adapt to major changes. Furthermore, increasing academic pressures, increased academic competitiveness, financial concerns, and concern for the future may contribute to these statistics.

Aim of the current study

The aim of the current study was to compare rates of depression and...