Bakgrund: Det ökande antalet anmälningar till patientnämnder och Socialstyrelsen handlar iallt större utsträckning om patienters upplevelser av brister i möten med vårdpersonal. Inom vårdvetenskapen beskrivs begreppet vårdrelation som en grundläggande förutsättning för vårdandet. När sjuksköterskor misslyckas med att skapa vårdrelationer som är vårdande kan detta leda till ett vårdlidande och patienter fråntas rätten att vara delaktiga i sin hälsoprocess. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa sjuksköterskors beskrivningar och upplevelser av vad som gör vårdrelationer vårdande. Metod: Som metod användes en litteraturöversikt vilken baserades på en analys av tiokvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultat: I resultatet framkom fyra teman som svarade mot syftet: medkänsla, närvaro, mod och att ta sig tid. Dessa teman går delvis in i varandra. Vårdrelationen blir vårdande när sjuksköterskan har mod att vara närvarande i mötet med patienten och har ett personligt engagemang, har den kreativa förmågan att lyssna och verkligen ta sig tid att höra vad patienten förmedlar. Diskussion: Det finns en risk att mänskliga värden går förlorade när sjuksköterskan har fokus på att utföra uppgifter och patienten objektifieras. Sjuksköterskans kunskap och medvetenhet om existentiella och medmänskliga behov behöver lyftas fram i vårdandet. Nyckelord: Vårdrelation, närvaro, medkänsla, mod. / Background: The increasing number of complaints to patient boards and Swedish board of social welfare focus on patients' perceptions of gaps in encounters with health professionals. In health science, the concept of caring relations is described as a fundamental prerequisite for caring. When nurses fail to provide caring relations may lead to a suffering for the patient and they are deprived of the right to participate in their health process. Aim: The aim of this study was to highlight nurses' descriptions and experiences of what makes the caring relationship caring. Method: A literature review based on an analysis of ten qualitative research articles was performed. Findings: The results revealed four themes that responded to the aim: compassion, presence, courage and take your time. These themes are partly intertwined. The caring relationship becomes caring when the nurse has the courage to be present in the meeting with the patient and has a personal commitment, has the creative ability to listen and really take the time to hear what the patient conveys. Discussion: There is a risk that human values are lost when the nurse ends up in performance and performs tasks. A nurse's knowledge and consciousness of existential and interpersonal needs must be highlighted in caring. Keywords: Caring relationship, presence, compassion, courage.

Texte remanié de: Dissertation--Philosophische Fakultät--Freiburg/Schweiz--Universität, 2005. / Bibliogr. p. 211-242.

First generation (FG) students are twice as likely as their non-first generation peers to drop out of college (Chen, 2005), experiencing a host of challenges related to their FG status including poor academic preparation, limited familial support, nonstrategic college learning beliefs and processes, and problematic coping with academic disappointment. FG students who earn low grades often attribute these outcomes to an uncontrollable factor such as low intelligence (Dweck & Leggett, 1998) rather than a more controllable factor such as poor preparation for success or misunderstanding of the path to success. Some FG students matriculate through college successfully despite their risk status and one reason might be FG students who exhibit more self-compassion in the face of perceived or actual low grades are resilient even with their risk status. The study investigated relations between self-compassion for poor academic performance and the learning beliefs and processes (i.e., motivation, goal orientation, fixed theory of intelligence, self-efficacy, anxiety, and fear of failure) of FG students using hierarchical regression. Overall, findings suggested that students with more self-compassion had more strategic learning beliefs and processes on ten out of eleven variables, regardless of their FG status. FG students did have a lower GPA and however only Asian FG students had less strategic learning beliefs in their fixed theory of intelligence. Contrary to hypotheses, however, as a group FG students did not have less self-compassion. Further research is needed on contextual factors surrounding FG status in other FG student populations. / text

This report is a proposal for a compassion based recovery program for the treatment of chemical dependence. Chemical dependency is a growing problem with many individuals and families worldwide. Mindfulness and self-compassion are two new constructs in the new wave of positive psychology that have shown to be effective in alleviating many of the symptoms that are related to those whom are chemically dependent This report will list the current approaches to the treatment of chemical dependency. This report will also define mindfulness and self-compassion as well as give a basic framework on how a compassion-based recovery program might look as well as a basic design on testing the effectiveness of such a program. / text

One of the most challenging aspects of being a parent is managing the many emotions that are aroused in the context of caring for a child. This dissertation explores the relationships among self-compassion, affective distress, parenting self-efficacy, and negative parenting behaviors in a sample of mothers of preschool-aged children (n = 139). Participants completed several self-report measures on-line including the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), and the Parenting Scale (PS). Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with fewer negative parenting behaviors and higher levels of parenting satisfaction. Initial data analyses revealed the relationship between self-compassion and negative parenting behaviors was partially mediated by affective distress and parenting self-efficacy. However, when lax and overreactive parenting behaviors were examined separately, only overreactive parenting behaviors were significantly related to self-compassion. Self-efficacy---but not negative affect---continued to partially mediate this relationship. The results of the study suggest that self-compassion, as a way of being and as a strategy of emotion regulation, is an asset when facing the challenges and emotional tide of parenting. Limitations of the study and future areas of research are discussed. / text

Background/aims. Self-compassion is an approach of kindness towards the self; encompassing self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness (Neff, 2003b). It is thought to enable awareness that suffering is common within human experience, encouraging compassion for others. Parental sensitivity and attributions are considered to influence parent-child relationships and have been negatively associated with depression. This study aimed to explore associations between parent self-compassion, attributions of child behaviour and sensitive responding in recurrently depressed parents. Methods/participants. This was a correlational design using baseline data from a feasibility randomised controlled trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The 38 participants had experienced recurrent major depressive episodes, were in remission and had at least one child between two and six years old. Self-compassion was measured by the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003b). Parent attributions of child behaviour were assessed by semi-structured interviews and rated using the Attributions Measure (S. Scott & M. Dadds, personal communication, 2009). Sensitivity was assessed using a parent-child observation task and rated by the Coding of Attachment-Related Parenting (Matias, Scott & O’Connor, 2006). Results. Findings show significant correlations between higher SCS total scores and external attributions of positive or negative valence. The SCS subscale self-judgement was significantly negatively correlated with sensitivity. Conclusion. In conclusion, higher self-compassion was positively associated with external attributions of child behaviour in either situation. Parents with higher levels of self-compassion also showed positive associations with sensitivity. These associations support current theories suggesting self-compassion could be positively associated with parenting. Areas for future research and clinical implications are considered.

Suicide is believed to be the second leading cause of death among college students, and recent data on the prevalence of suicidal ideation on college campuses signifies the need for suicide prevention efforts. Historically prevention efforts have emphasized identifying and shepherding into specialized mental health treatment those students who are currently in a heightened state of risk. One limitation of this approach is that college mental health services find themselves stretched to capacity, with utilization rates steadily on the rise. Thus, several scholars have called for suicide prevention efforts to take a public health approach, seeking to intervene more broadly by improving the mental health of the larger population. One way of broadening these prevention efforts is to investigate factors that preserve the emotional and mental resilience of college students facing similar life stressors and distress levels. Thus, the suicidality literature has seen an increase in the investigation of these protective factors. Self-compassion emerges in the literature as a promising protective factor that may have applicability in shielding individuals from entering the continuum of suicidality.<<par>> This study aims to build upon existing research by examining within a college student population the relationship between suicidal ideation and possessing a self-compassionate attitude, a relationship that has yet to be examined in the literature. Further goals of this research include the following: determining if any of the six subscales of the self-compassion construct in particular convey more robust protection from developing suicidal ideation, examining the potential mediating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation, and investigating whether self-compassion has a differential influence on developing suicidal ideation for women as compared to men. The proposed study will use a stratified randomized case control design in which those endorsing suicidal ideation in the past month will be matched with those indicating the absence of suicidal ideation in the past month on perceived impact of recent life stress and demographic characteristics. Self-report methods will include a measure of self-compassion, depression, life events, and an item aimed at examining presence or absence of suicidal ideation during the past month. Findings from this study will contribute to an understanding of resilience factors that protect from the development of suicidality and will have implications for intervening broadly at the population level. / text

Self-compassion refers to one’s kind, mindful, and self-referential response to the perception of one’s painful experiences and has been linked to a number of positive aspects of psychological well-being (Neff, 2003a, 2003b). Despite this, thus far, there has been very little research examining how this concept relates to various aspects of social relationships. The current study investigates whether levels of reported self-compassion are related to rejection sensitivity and excessive reassurance seeking from others. Furthermore, aspects of recalled parenting are examined to determine whether those who recalled their parents as unsupportive of their negative displays of emotion also demonstrated low self-compassion, a relationship proposed to be mediated by perceived mattering and experiential avoidance. Questionnaires measuring these constructs were administered online to 241 undergraduate students. Parental validation of negative displays of emotion was found to lead to increased self-compassion, a relationship which was mediated by experiential avoidance and perceived mattering. Parental invalidation was not related to self-compassion. In turn, increased mattering and self-compassion led to lower rejection sensitivity, whereas increased experiential avoidances led to excessive reassurance seeking. Further research in this area is needed in order to experimentally assess the cause and effect relationships between parenting, self-compassion, rejection sensitivity, and reassurance seeking. / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarship

Self-compassion, a healthy way of relating to the self that is premised on treating oneself with kindness and understanding in the face of pain and failure (Neff, 2003a, 2003b), is emerging as a potentially useful way to transform young women athletes’ difficult experiences in sport (Mosewich, Crocker, Kowalski, & DeLongis, 2013; Mosewich et al., 2011). Although associated with a variety of well-being indices, self-compassion has largely been neglected in the eudaimonic tradition concerned with psychological flourishing (Ryff, 1989, 1995). The themes of eudaimonic well-being – which include feeling autonomous and competent, the pursuit of continuous growth, having quality relations with others, finding purpose in life, and acceptance of oneself (Ryff, 1989, 1995) – closely align with many of the goals and motives that young women athletes have reported for competing in sport (e.g., Chatzisarantis & Hagger, 2007; Kilpatrick et al., 2005). However, being eudaimonically-well or flourishing in sport is not a given, as young women athletes can encounter a variety difficult experiences as they journey through athletic pursuits (Fraser-Thomas et al., 2005; Krane et al., 2001; Mosewich et al., 2009). Whether the promise of self-compassion as a way to transform difficult sport experiences might have similar potential for young women athletes’ eudaimonic well-being is currently unknown; that is, whether self-compassion contributes to or thwarts psychological flourishing is an important question. The purpose of the present program of research was to explore the role of self-compassion in young women athletes’ psychological flourishing. Using a mixed methods research design, Study 1 explored self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being in young women athletes. The quantitative phase consisted of young women athletes (n = 83; Mean age = 18.70 years) completing an online survey including trait-level measures of self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being, as well as measures of plausible process variables (i.e., passivity, responsibility, initiative, and self-determination). In addition to finding evidence for a positive relationship between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being (r = .76, p < .01), the data were consistent with a model of multiple mediation whereby, as a group, passivity, responsibility, initiative, and self-determination emerged as potential mechanism variables. Expanding on the links from the quantitative phase, a qualitative phase consisting of one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions with young women athletes (n = 11; Mean age = 19.72 years) explored when and how self-compassion might be useful in striving to reach one’s potential in sport. Self-compassion was described as advantageous in difficult sport situations (i.e., when failing to meet personal goals, making mistakes during competition, experiencing an injury, reaching a plateau) by increasing positivity, perseverance, and responsibility, as well as decreasing rumination. The qualitative findings support previous claims that self-compassion is beneficial during emotionally difficult situations (Leary et al., 2007; Neff, 2003b). However, concerns were expressed about being too self-compassionate in sport; in particular, that self-compassion might lead to complacency, which would ultimately thwart psychological flourishing in sport. To better understand the seeming complex relationship between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being specifically in the sport domain, Study 2 explored the role of self-compassion during hypothetical, emotionally difficult, sport-specific scenarios in relation to psychological flourishing in sport. Young women athletes (N = 137; Mean age = 19.04 years) completed an online survey including trait-level measures of self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being, as well as brief reaction measures (i.e., self-compassionate, positive, perseverant, responsible, ruminative, passive, and self-critical reactions) to hypothetical, emotionally difficult, sport scenarios, and proxy indicators of eudaimonic well-being in sport. The results contextualized the relationship between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being to the sport domain, showing positive associations between self-compassion and autonomy, meaning (i.e., personal growth) and vitality (i.e., purpose in life) in sport, and body appreciation (i.e., self-acceptance). Findings from path model analyses suggest that increased positive and perseverant reactions and decreased passive reactions to emotionally difficult sport scenarios might explain the relationship between self-compassion and certain indices of eudaimonic well-being in sport (e.g., autonomy, vitality in sport, body appreciation). The pattern of findings suggest that having a kind and understanding self-attitude might nurture constructive reactions to emotionally difficult sport scenarios, enabling athletes to strive towards their potential in sport. Taken together, findings from the program of research presented here suggest that compassionately relating to the self might be advantageous for young women athletes’ eudaimonic well-being, both in general and in terms of eudaimonic indicators that are specific to psychological flourishing in sport. A conceptual model is formulated to help understand the relationship between self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being. Reduced passivity emerged as one possible process variable, which is a key finding that directly addresses the concern as to whether self-compassion leads to complacency; a concern that appears both within the larger self-compassion body of literature as well as qualitative findings in my research. The identification of promising mechanism variables is an important contribution to the literature, as the findings reported here can be further examined in future research directed at the promotion of self-compassion for athletes’ flourishing in sport. Caution is warranted, however, for researchers moving forward in this area, particularly in terms of athletes’ concerns with being self-compassionate. Building off of my research findings and conclusions, two noted directions for future research are (1) to explore ways for athletes to recognize the potential usefulness of self-compassion in sport and (2) to longitudinally and/or experimentally target mechanism variables that will have associated changes on eudaimonic outcomes in sport. Such research efforts will work towards the development of self-compassion in sport programs that are theoretically- and empirically-driven, and have the end goal of helping young women athletes reach their full potential.

Characterized as a loss of empathy, compassion fatigue is experienced by many in the helping professions. Also known as secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue occurs when those in the helping professions experience trauma through interacting with the traumatic experiences of the people they are helping. Previous literature has found the development of compassion fatigue to be inevitable due to the amount of empathy those professionals must utilize on a daily basis. Mindfulness practices, such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have been found to be a helpful learning tool for those in the helping professions to reduce their levels of stress. Using a convenience sample of 74 therapists, the present study utilized attachment as a framework for exploring factors of predicting and preventing compassion fatigue. Attachment styles in romantic relationships was predicted to be associated with the development of compassion fatigue, while mindfulness levels were predicted to be preventative in the development of compassion fatigue. Findings indicated that levels of compassion fatigue were higher for females, and that higher levels of mindfulness was associated with lower levels of compassion fatigue for both males and females. Implications for therapists, supervisors, and therapists-in-training are addressed.