The concept of compassion has recently held a controversial role in political thought. Critics have tied it with the condescension and latent self-interest of pity, while proponents have asserted it as the ethical posture from which to approach the suffering of others. This thesis looks at the role of compassion in the political sphere, arguing that political compassion involves a decentring of oneself as the primary subject of political action, looking instead to forego one’s own desire and to replace it with the desire of another. It pays particular attention to the thought of Hannah Arendt, who excludes this self-sacrificing compassion from the political sphere, due to the importance of speech to political action, and in turn, the importance of muteness to compassion. To Arendt, political speech intends to performatively bring one’s uniqueness into the world, whereas compassion performatively denies this subjectivity and is fundamentally unpolitical. She asserts that not only do public displays of compassion destroy their very value, but moreover, that a focus of compassion and suffering in the political sphere overshadows the need for cool, sober discourse between equals. I argue that, even in accepting Arendt’s definition of the political, there is space for compassion as a political labour. While Arendt asserts the need for speech and action in the political sphere, she conflates the free will involved in the plurality and uniqueness of the content of speech with the uniform, natural will to speak. Her articulations of the political realm, which require one to make oneself heard among equals, invoke at that same moment an immediate need for the labour of others foregoing their own desire to speak and act, to instead passively listen. Instead of being a realm exclusively to manifest one’s will, the political instead requires a reciprocity of desire, and its abnegation. / Graduate / 0615 / 0422 / 0681 / charlebois@u.northwestern.edu

Bakgrund: Tidigare psykologisk forskning har visat på samband mellan hög grad självmedkänsla och välbefinnande samt att låg grad självmedkänsla haft samband med psykopatologi. Lite vårdvetenskaplig forskning har gjorts om självmedkänsla och begreppet anses fortfarande relativt okänt. Syfte: Att beskriva hur vuxna personer med adhd uppfattade begreppet självmedkänsla och samtal utifrån Self-Compassion Scale. Hur såg vuxna med adhd på begreppet självmedkänsla och dess innebörd? Vilka utmaningar och vilken behållning beskrev de i användandet av Self-Compassion Scale? Hur var deras självmedkänsla? Metod: Undersökningen hade en QUAL + quan, mixed method design. Fyra personer deltog i kognitiva intervjuer i den kvalitativa delen och i den kvantitativa delen fyllde 23 personer i Self-Compassion Scale. Intervjuerna genomgick en innehållsanalys medan skattningsskalorna har analyserats numeriskt. Resultat: Intervjuerna redovisar tre kategorier; Självmedkänsla innefattar välbefinnande och relationen till sig själv och andra, Samtal leder till självinsikt och Att utforska problem och lösningar är givande och utmanande. Personerna skattade totalt 2,6 i självmedkänsla, vilket betyder medelnivå (medelnivå = 2,6-3,5 ). Slutsatser: Att samtala om självmedkänsla kan vara utmanande och betydelsefullt för personer med adhd. Att som specialistsjuksköterska inom psykiatri ha kunskap om självmedkänsla kan vara värdefullt för patientens hälsa och återhämtning. / Background: Research has shown correlation between high self-compassion and wellbeing as well as low self-compassion has been correlated with psychopathology. Little research of Self-compassion in nursing science has been done and the concept is still relative unknown. Aim: To describe how adults with adhd percived the concept of self-compassion and conversation  with Self-Compassion Scale as starting point. How did adults with adhd perceive self-compassion and it´s meaning? Which challanges and profits did they describe in the use of Self-Compassion Scale? How was their self-compassion? Method: The study had a QUAL + quan, mixed method design. Four participants performed cognitive interviews in the qualitative part and in the quantitative part 23 participants performed Self-Compassion Scale. The interviews underwent content analysis and the assessment tools has been numerically analyzed. Result: The interviews present three categories; Self-compassion contains wellbeing and the relationship to oneself and others, Conversation leeds to self-awareness and To explore problems and solutions is rewarding and challenging. Persons rate a medium-level self-compassion of 2,6 in total (medium level = 2,6-3,5). Highest scores for the categories isolation and over-identified. Conclusion: To converse about self-compassion can be challenging and important for persons with adhd. For the nurse within psychiatric care to have knowledge of self-compassion can be valuable to patient’s health and recovery.

The population consisted of 9,000 Gulf Coast Licensed Professional Counselors. Surveys were returned by 609 participants. In the researcher-developed demographic survey, 586 individuals responded to the questions regarding age, gender, ethnicity, and years of counseling experience; 585 individuals responded to questions about exposure to prior trauma, and personal Katrina-related losses; 578 individuals responded to the question about the percentage of their work week that was spent counseling victims, and 579 individuals responded to questions regarding the type of mental health care strategy they participated in. There were 439 usable surveys for the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) (Weathers, Litz, Huska, & Keane, 1994) and 448 for the Compassion Fatigue Subscale of The Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction Self-Test for Helpers (Figley & Stamm, 1996). The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) (Weathers, Litz, Huska, & Keane, 1994) was utilized to evaluate Gulf Coast Licensed Professional Counselors for vicarious traumatization within the first year of working with Hurricane Katrina survivors. A total score of 30 or above on the PCL-C is required to meet criteria for PTSD. A total of 32.1% of respondents (141 individuals) scored 30 or above- criteria for vicarious traumatization. Respondents were evaluated for current compassion fatigue symptoms using the Compassion Fatigue. A score of 36-40 indicates high risk for compassion fatigue and a score of 41 and above indicates an extremely high risk for compassion fatigue. When the participants were evaluated based on their symptoms 5 years after Hurricane Katrina, 5.1% scored 36 or above, indicating high or extremely high risk for compassion fatigue. The strategies examined were traditional clinical psychotherapy (individual, group, couples or family) and non-clinical self-care (prayer, meditation, exercise, yoga, engaging in pleasurable activities). The relationship between these types of mental health care and CFS scores were examined, and the results indicated that participation in traditional mental health counseling is associated with lower CFS scores, which indicate a lower risk for compassion fatigue, and participation in non-clinical self-care is also associated with lower CFS scores, which indicates a lower risk for compassion fatigue; however, participation in traditional mental health counseling is more strongly associated with lower CFS scores than non-clinical self-care.

Purpose: Describe the meaning of compassion fatigue (CF) as experienced by the U.S. military registered nurse (RN) post-deployment from Iraq and Afghanistan. Background: CF is characterized by deep emotional and physical exhaustion, and may resemble posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often this causes a shift in confidence and clouds RN perceptions. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating, intrusive imagery, hopelessness, exhaustion, and irritability leading to profound alterations in one's view of the world, patients, family, and friends. Outcomes include depersonalizing patients, poor coping mechanisms, lowered standards, clinical errors, and blurring boundaries, all can contribute to a toxic work environment and RNs leaving the profession. Method: Hermeneutic phenomenological methodology facilitated a description of CF in words and meaning expressed by U.S. military RNs (i.e., Army, Navy). The sample was obtained through the snowball method and aided by key informants. Data were collected through interviews and observations with each active duty or reservist RN (N = 8) on three occasions. Participants described their military and nursing backgrounds and experiences of CF through hermeneutic interview. Analysis was ongoing during the interview process and included continual questioning, reflecting, and validating. This process allowed for understanding through engagement of text (e.g., dialogue, transcriptions). Journaling and self-reflection assisted with trustworthiness. Findings: Participants shared many experiences. While some had unique experiences, their feelings and perceptions resonated with other participants and informed the emergence of four shared meanings and shared concerns: (a) the term CF does not fit me, manifested by expressions of the meaning of CF; (b) compassion fatigue as all encompassing, manifested by physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual experiences; (c) compassion fatigue will not interfere with my military duty, manifested by the pervasive military lens that the meaning of the experiences are filtered, and (d) compassion fatigue affects people long after deployment . . . gone, but not forgotten, manifested by the lasting effects of CF. Implications: While CF among military RNs has many similarities with the general nursing population, the practice environment appears to create additional triggers and manifestations. This study provides an understanding of the progression of CF in this population. Implementing interventions before and after trauma exposure can preserve the care in military caregivers.

ABSTRACT The negative impacts of trauma on clients are well known. However, the negative impact of working with traumatized clients on the counselor or helper has received less attention in the literature. Similarly, the contributions of certain work environments to experiences of compassion fatigue and the role of personality characteristics have gone unnoticed, especially in the South African context. The aim of this research is to examine the relationships between compassion fatigue, sense of coherence and work environment variables (job control, workload and collegial support), and to determine whether sense of coherence moderates the relationship between work environment and compassion fatigue on a sample of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) practitioners in the South African organisational context (both public and private sectors). The current study adopted a non-experimental research design, categorised as cross-sectional and correlational. A non-probability sampling procedure was utilised. A sample of ninety-nine (99) EAP practitioners was obtained. A 10-items Job Control Scale (Wall, Jackson and Mullarkey, 1995), Workload and Collegial Support Scale by Dewe (1987) 11-items each, a 30- items Compassion Fatigue Self-Test Scale (Figley, 1995), and 13-items Orientation to Life Questionnaire (QLQ-13/SOC-13) by Antonovsky (1987; 1993) were administered. Results indicate that the sample in the current study were at higher risk of experiencing compassion fatigue. There was a positive significant relationship between workload, collegial support and compassion fatigue, a negative insignificant correlation between job control and compassion fatigue, and positive insignificant relationship between sense of coherence and compassion fatigue. The results between sense of coherence and the work environment variables were insignificant. Finally, sense of coherence was only found to moderate the relationship between workload and compassion fatigue and the relationship between collegial support and compassion fatigue.

The self-compassion conceptualization developed by Neff (2003a, b) and its corresponding 26-item inventory (SCS) has gained interest in recent years. SCS have proven good validity and reliability, but its suggested six-factor model cannot always be replicated. Recent studies have shown a more promising two-factor model for the SCS. The aim of this study was to test the structural validity of a translated Swedish SCS in university students (n = 464; 22% men). The results showed good construct validity, test-retest and internal reliability (ICC = .97; α = .86). Partial confirmatory factor analysis could not confirm the six-factor model but did support the two-factor model consisting of a positively worded (self-compassionate attitude) and a negatively worded (self-critical attitude) factor. The modified scale (SCS-Swe22) showed good reliability and construct validity (ICC = .96; α = .89). Despite promising results, additional work is required to secure the structural construct of SCS-Swe22.

Esta tese apresenta imagens minoritárias da compaixão, num ensaio ético, político e estético, em que o diálogo entre a noção budista de compaixão (karuna), os textos do poeta e militante de direitos humanos, Deley de Acari, e minha atuação como psicóloga, foi o ponto de partida. A tese é desenvolvida na forma de ensaio, entendido a partir da concepção foucaultiana de ensaio como um exercício de si. Nosso campo consistiu em acompanhar o dia-a-dia de Deley, em suas diferentes inserções na favela de Acari, Rio de Janeiro. O trabalho desdobrou-se no encontro com duas mulheres, moradoras dessa localidade, cujo foco se deu na questão do cuidado e da ética na vida ordinária, inspirado nas reflexões da antropóloga indiana Veena Das. Para entender o contexto de violações aos direitos humanos que perpassa a vida na cidade, sobretudo as favelas, recorremos às ideias de Walter Benjamin, sobre o estado de exceção; de Michel Foucault, sobre o biopoder; e de Giorgio Agamben, sobre a vida nua. De forma que entendemos estas violações e destituições não como incomuns, mas sim como constitutivas à modernidade e ao capitalismo em sua face contemporânea. Refletimos sobre a singularidade do sofrimento social envolvido nas resistências a estas violações cotidianas e sobre o lugar da psicologia nesse conjunto. E em como este engajamento constitui-se num permanente questionamento a respeito das práticas psi, dos modos de ser e de relacionar-se. O ensaio baseia-se também nos escritos da filósofa feminista, Judith Butler e do pediatra e psicanalista Donald Winnicott, no que tange a suas reflexões sobre vulnerabilidade e precariedade, pensadas como transicionalidade e interdependência. Esperamos contribuir assim, para o debate sobre as práticas psi e o lugar do psicólogo nas margens, em situações de sofrimento social e precarização das condições de vida / This thesis presents minor images of compassion, in an ethical, political and aesthetic essay, in which the dialogue between the Buddhist concept of compassion (karuna), the texts of the poet and human rights activist, Deley de Acari, and my work as a psychologist, was the starting point. The thesis is developed as an essay, understood in the Foucaultian conception of essay, as an exercice de soi. Our field work consisted in going along with Deley de Acari, in his day-by-day and in his different insertions in the favela of Acari, Rio de Janeiro. The work unfolded in the encounter with two women, who were local residents, whose focus had become the issue of care and ethics in everyday life, inspired by the reflections of the Indian anthropologist Veena Das. To understand the context of human rights violations that permeates life in the city, especially at slums, we turn to Walter Benjamin\'s ideas on the state of exception; Michel Foucault, on biopower; and Giorgio Agamben, on bare life. Therefore, we understand these violations and destitutions not as unusual, but as constitutive of modernity and capitalism in its contemporary version. We reflect on the singularity of the social suffering involved in resistance to these daily violations and about the place of psychology in this context. We reflect also on how this engagement constitutes a permanent questioning about psi practices, ways of being and relating. The essay is also based on the writings of the feminist philosopher Judith Butler and the psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, with respect to their reflections on vulnerability and precariousness, thought of as transitionality and interdependence. We hope to contribute, thereby, to the debate on psychological practices and the place of the psychologist in the margins of the city, in situations of social suffering and precarious living conditions

Veterans in the United States experience heightened suicide risk, compared to civilians, accounting for approximately 7,400 suicides annually. Among many potential risk factors, insomnia (i.e., difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep) is prevalent in veterans. Individuals with insomnia often encounter difficulties in daily functioning (e.g., fatigue, difficulty concentrating, decreased work performance) and, as a result, may experience perceived burdensomeness (i.e., perceptions of being restrictive or taxing to others), a known contributor to suicide risk. However, not all veterans who suffer from insomnia or perceive themselves as a burden engage in suicidal behaviors, perhaps due to individual-level protective factors. One such factor, self-compassion (i.e., the extension of kindness to oneself in adverse or difficult times), is comprised of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, and may reduce suicide risk by buffering against negative self-evaluations regarding sleeplessness and performance. However, this premise has not been previously investigated; therefore, in the current study, we examined the mediating role of perceived burdensomeness on the relation between insomnia and suicide risk and, further, the moderating role of self-compassion on these paths. At the bivariate level, we hypothesized that insomnia, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation would be positively related, and self-compassion would be inversely related to these factors. At the multivariate level, we hypothesized that the relation between insomnia and suicide risk would be mediated by perceived burdensomeness, and that this association would be moderated by self-compassion on all model paths; such that increased insomnia would be associated with higher levels of perceived burdensomeness and, in turn, suicide risk, and that self-compassion would weaken these deleterious linkages. Participants (N=551; Mean Age=50.4, SD=16.6) were community-dwelling veterans, most of whom were White (85.1%) males (69.3%) and were recruited via online invitations distributed to veteran-related social media groups and organizations. Participants completed an online survey, including: Insomnia Severity Index, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised, and SelfCompassion Scale Short-Form. All bivariate hypotheses were supported, with significance at the p

Mental health professionals are at high risk of experiencing work-related stress and burnout due to the challenging and highly emotive environments in which they work. This may lead to a range of physical and psychological symptomology which may affect them and also the quality of care provided to patients. This thesis presents a systematic review of the literature regarding the effectiveness of workplace interventions designed to reduce or prevent work-related stress and burnout when compared to no intervention or alternative interventions for mental health professionals working in adult mental health settings. The thesis then presents an empirical study, using the Job Demands-Resources model of burnout. Personal resources (styles of coping, self-compassion, cognitive fusion and valued living) were tested as (a) moderators of the relationship between job demands and exhaustion and (b) mediators of the relationship between job resources and disengagement within a sample of mental health nurses. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials (N-RCTs), controlled before and after (CBA) and interrupted time series workplace (ITS) interventions were conducted. Primary outcomes were occupational stress and burnout. An assessment of strength of evidence was made using GRADE criteria. A quantitative cross-sectional survey of 214 mental health nurses was used to examine the role of: self-compassion, cognitive fusion, engaged living and coping in the development of burnout. Results Thirteen eligible studies were identified comprising 11 RCTs and 2 CBA’s. Overall, there was no beneficial effect of organisational and relaxations intervention was found for reducing burnout or work-related stress. There are some promising findings for the effectiveness of staff training and psychosocial interventions in the short and medium-term. Overall, the quality of studies was low due to risk of bias and a lack of precision due to low number of participants in each study. In the empirical paper, the moderating role of personal resources in the development of exhaustion was not supported. By contrast the mediating role of personal resource between job resources and disengagement was supported. Discussion At present, there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of workplace interventions. This is influenced by the low number of intervention studies and the quality of interventions to date for mental health professionals. There is preliminary evidence for the potential for third-wave cognitive behavioural interventions such as acceptance commitment therapy in reducing disengagement in mental health nurses. Interventions to reduce exhaustion need to include strategies to reduce job demands.

This thesis explored the relationships between 1) Self-compassion 2) Cognitive Emotion Regulation and 3) Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and teacher stress in a foreign international school setting. The retrospective, multi-tiered study investigated a total of 177 expatriated teachers working in multiple international schools around the globe; at least 17 of whom indicated that they had completed a MBSR course. A mixed-methods approach was used over three stages utilising the following instruments: 1) an adapted stress impact survey, 2) Teacher Interview Protocol (TIP), 3) the short forms of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-SF), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Results suggest that teachers’ beliefs about stress correlate with job satisfaction; 82.6% of respondents who reported that stress has ‘hardly any effect’ also reported that they liked their job overall; whereas, 76.9% and 36.4% of respondents that believed stress had affected their teaching ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ reported liking their job, respectively. Results also indicate that higher perceived stress is strongly correlated with both 1) decreased self-compassion (r = -.491, p < .001) and 2) increased use of non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as Catastrophizing (r= < 0.392, p < .001). All five adaptive cognitive coping strategies were positively correlated with Self-Compassion, four were significant; only Refocus on Planning failed to reach significance at p < .05. The data indicated no statistically significant differences between MBSR and non-MBSR participants, regarding perceptions of stress (PSS-4), self-compassion (SCS-SF), and eight of the nine coping strategies (CERQ-S), with the exception being that MBSR participants experienced reduced Self-Blame (p < 0.007). Conclusions find that policies and practices aimed at supporting the three aspects of self-compassion offer one possible avenue to reducing teacher stress and maladaptive thinking strategies, and thereby increasing job satisfaction, for teachers working in a foreign country.