The primary purpose of this study was to explore and identify the meaning and importance of service for health professionals. Those who participated in this study are all registered nurses who each have between 10 and 40 years of clinical nursing and nurse lecturing experience. The participants each wrote two stories, one about the meaning of service and the other about the importance of service. Definitions of service generally suggest organised labour involving an act of help or assistance. Our intent was to understand what constituted service for each of us in the healthcare - and specifically the nursing practice/education - context.A secondary purpose of this qualitative research was guided by participatory and critical theory paradigms. Seven participants and I (as the initiating researcher) formed a co-operative inquiry group to undertake the research using a collaborative process. Within this method the leader and the group became co-participants and co-researchers. Nurses and women are identified as marginalised people and by honouring the principles of co-operative inquiry we were empowered through this process. While the initial data was analysed thematically by the lead researcher, the original 19 sub-themes were refined by participants into five themes.The findings of the participants are consistent with overseas studies on emotional labour and sentimental work. The five themes that emerged as the meaning of service are helping, giving, elements of service, acts of doing, and pride in work. Helping was defined as an attitude and an action, which often results in a spiritual connection. Giving involves stretching yourself, and altruistic behaviour that also incorporated a spiritual component. Five sub-themes merged to form the third theme elements of service; working with people, being a public servant, being a servant, need and duty. The complexity and hidden aspect of service work was expressed in acts of doing where being professional was paramount. The final theme, pride in work, acknowledged childhood conditioning and a sense of contributing to the greater good through our unique work as nurses. This study affirmed that service has much importance to those involved and deepened our understanding of the blend of meanings service expresses.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of American Studies, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 22, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-220). Also issued in print.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 2010. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-165).

This essay aims to provide an overview of some key theories and frameworks regarding moral cognition and its neural correlates, in order to examine the possibilities of enhancement of moral cognition. Moral cognition arises from the functional integration of several distinct brain regions and networks. These neural systems correspond to different socioaffective abilities, such as empathy and compassion, as well as sociocognitive abilities, such as theory of mind. Due to this neural distinction, these moral abilities, behaviors, and emotions can be targeted and trained separately. Recent research suggests that training sociocognitive and socioaffective abilities increases cortical thickness in corresponding brain regions and networks, hence providing support for adult neural plasticity in relation to moral cognition. Increased cortical thickness also corresponds to enhanced performance in socioaffective and sociocognitive abilities. Training compassion and empathy induce enhanced abilities to pick up emotional cues, as well as strengthen the motivation to alleviate others’ distress. Practicing theory of mind allows for a better understanding of the perspective of others, which has been indicated to reduce biases between individuals or societal groups. Thus, enhanced moral cognition can contribute to an increase in consideration for those affected by our choices and behavior, which may yield more compassionate, just, and safe societies.

The use of social network services (SNS) has exponentially grown especially among younger generations. Facebook (FB) use today constitutes a part of many university students’ everyday life. At the same time, research interest for self-compassion has grown tremendously. High self-compassion is associated with high subjective well-being (SWB), while high FB use has shown association with lower SWB. The effect of interaction between FB use and self-compassion in predicting SWB has thus far not been tested. This study examined if FB use correlated with SWB, if self-compassion correlated with SWB, and if the level of self-compassion had a moderating effect between FB use and SWB. A survey containing measures of frequency and duration of FB use, Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Satisfaction With Life Scale was administered to Swedish university students (N = 231, M age = 24.84, SD = 5.9). A hierarchal regression analysis was used to test if FB use and self-compassion interacted to predict SWB. The regression analysis showed that only self-compassion significantly predicted SWB. This study suggests that frequency and duration of FB use might not be enough to predict SWB. Future research could benefit from mapping more precisely what kind of FB use is beneficial or non-beneficial for user well-being. Also, future research could benefit from considering type of FB use in interaction with the level of self-compassion in predicting SWB. / Användandet av sociala medier (SNS) har växt kraftigt bland yngre generationer. Facebook (FB) användande utgör idag en del av många universitetsstudenters vardagliga liv. Samtidigt har forskningsintresset kring self-compassion vuxit. Hög self-compassion är associerat med högt subjektivt välbefinnande (SWB) medan högt FB-användande har visat associationer med lägre SWB. Effekten av interaktion mellan FB-användande och self-compassion för att predicera SWB har ej tidigare studerats. Denna studie undersökte korrelation mellan FB-användande och SWB, korrelation mellan self-compassion och SWB, samt om self-compassion hade en modererande effekt mellan FB-användande och SWB. En enkät innehållande mätning av frekvens och duration av FB-användande, Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule och Satisfaction With Life Scale administrerades till svenska universitetsstudenter (N = 231, M age = 24.84, SD = 5.9). Hierarkisk regressionsanalys användes för att undersöka om interaktion mellan FB-användande och self-compassion kunde predicera SWB. Regressionsanalysen visade att endast self-compassion signifikant kunde predicera SWB. Resultatet föreslår att frekvens och duration av FB-användande möjligtvis inte är tillräckligt för att predicera SWB. Framtida studier kan med fördel mer utförligt undersöka vilken typ av FB-användande som har fördelaktig eller icke-fördelaktig effekt på SWB, samt ta hänsyn till typ av FB-användande och nivå av self-compassion i interaktion för att predicera SWB.

Orientador: Luiz Roberto Monzan / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T19:32:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Germer_GuilhermeMarconi_M.pdf: 1635494 bytes, checksum: 6abc36184c5edf1a2a22448d88eb02ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Nossa dissertação tem por objetivo analisar e interpretar o esclarecimento de Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) dos conceitos do belo (schön) e do bom (gut) (moral, virtude). Segundo o filósofo, ambos não são verdadeiramente ensináveis, isto é, não se deve esperar que as estéticas desde Aristóteles tornem os seus pupilos artistas geniais, tampouco como se pode ansiar que os discursos morais tragam o caráter genuinamente ético. Pelo contrário, o pensador propõe à filosofia a tarefa puramente teórica e contemplativa, a saber, a de não prescrever regras ao espírito, mas descrever abstratamente o que de fato ocorre no belo e no bom, por meio de uma interpretação e explicitação cuja matéria e limite é "este mundo efetivo da cognoscibilidade, no qual estamos e que está em nós". Ambos os esclarecimentos são apresentados em seu essencial pelo filósofo, respectivamente, no Livro III e no Livro IV de Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung (O Mundo como Vontade e como Representação) - ambos os quais compõem, portanto, a bibliografia básica de nossa investigação. Resumidamente, Schopenhauer defende que o belo consiste, pelo lado objetivo, nas Idéias eternas (ewigen Ideen) de Platão, os arquétipos dos fenômenos relativos e fugazes do princípio de razão suficiente e a "objetidade mais adequada possível da coisa em si" (die möglichst adäquate Objetität des... Dinges an sich), e pelo subjetivo, no puro sujeito do conhecimento destituído de Vontade (reines, willenloses Subjekt der Erkenntnis). Quanto ao bom, o filósofo identifica-o ao conceito da compaixão (Mitleid), cujo grau negativo é a justiça (Gerechtigkeit), no qual ela apenas obstrui a injustiça (Unrecht), e o positivo a caridade (Menschenliebe), no qual ela "não apenas me impede de causar dano a outrem, mas também me impele a ajudá-lo". Por fim, nós também comentamos os seguintes temas capitais do pensamento schopenhaueriano: o idealismo, a polêmica com Kant, o princípio de razão suficiente, a Vontade como coisa em si, senhora do intelecto, impulso cego e auto-discórdia, o pessimismo e a autonegação e afirmação da Vontade de viver / Abstract: Our work aims to analyze and interpret the clarification of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) of the concepts of the beautiful (schön) and the good (gut) (moral virtue). According to the philosopher, both are not really teachable, that is, one should not expect that Aristotle's aesthetics will make his pupils into brilliant artists, nor can one aspire that moral speeches have a genuinely ethical character. Rather, the thinker assigns to philosophy a purely theoretical and contemplative task, that is, not to prescribe rules to the spirit, but to abstractly describe what actually occurs in the beautiful and good, through an interpretation and explicitness the subject matter and limit of which is "this actual world of what is knowable, in which we are and which is in us." Both explanations are given in their essentials by the philosopher, respectively, in Book III and Book IV of Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung (The World as Will and Representation) - both of which make up the basic bibliography of our research. In short, Schopenhauer argues that, on the objective side, beauty consists of Plato's eternal Ideas (Ideen ewigen), archetypes of the fleeting phenomena of the principle of sufficient reason and " the best possible objectity of the thing in itself" (die möglichst adequate Objetität des ... Ding an sich), and on the subjective side, the pure subject of knowledge without will (reines, willenloses Subjekt der Erkenntnis). As for the good, the philosopher identifies it with the concept of compassion (Mitleid), the negative side of which is justice (Gerechtigkeit), negative in that it only blocks injustice (Unrecht), with charity (Menschenliebe) being the positive side, in that it "not only prevents me from causing harm to others but also compels me to help them". Finally, we also comment on the following main themes of Schopenhauer's thought: idealism, the controversy with Kant, the principle of sufficient reason, the will as thing in itself and master of the intellect, blind impulse and self-discord, pessimism and selfnegation and affirmation of the will to live / Mestrado / Metafisica do Belo e dos Costumes / Mestre em Filosofia

O presente estudo consiste na investigação psicanalítica das configurações assumidas pelo campo contratransferencial que se estabelece no atendimento psicológico, psicanaliticamente orientado, de pacientes soropositivos para o HIV. Quatro adolescentes, soropositivos em decorrência de transmissão vertical, foram psicanaliticamente assistidos por meio de diferentes enquadres clínicos, que incluíram sessões de psicoterapia individual, oficinas psicoterapêuticas e atividades extramuros, segundo a demanda. Esse complexo acontecer clínico deu origem à elaboração de quatro narrativas transferenciais, que foram psicanaliticamente revisitadas, na busca de criação/encontro de campos contratransferenciais. O quadro geral permite afirmar que, para além de ressonâncias contratransferenciais associadas a peculiaridades relativas ao adolescer e às vicissitudes das histórias individuais, é possível detectar a vigência de um campo contratransferencial nitidamente caracterizado pela compaixão. Tal configuração suscita reflexões teórico-clínicas que apontam que tanto as questões ontológicas relativas à precariedade, limitação e finitude, como as decorrentes das condições concretas de vida, tais como o adoecimento, a experiência da dor, o severo tratamento, a orfandade e a exclusão social, devem ser profundamente levadas em conta no cuidado a esses pacientes / This study aims to show the psychoanalytical investigation of the settings assumed by the countertransference field, which is established in psychological sessions, psychoanalytically oriented, in patients infected with HIV. Four teenagers, positives for HIV by vertical transmission, were psychoanalytically assisted by different clinical setting, which included individual psychotherapy sessions, psychotherapeutic workshops and outdoors activities, according to demand. This complex clinical case originates the development of four transference narratives, which were psychoanalytically revisited, in search of the creation/gathering of countertransference fields. The overall clinical picture allows us to state that, beyond the countertransference resonances associated to peculiarities related to adolescence and to the vicissitude of individual stories, is possible to detect the presence of a countertransference field clearly characterized by compassion. This configuration suscitate theoretical-clinical reflections that point out that the ontological issues caused by precariousness, limitation and finitude, as the current real life conditions, such as illness, experience of pain, severe treatment, the orphanhood and the social exclusion, must be thoroughly considered in the care of these patients

Ångest och depression är vanliga sökorsaker inom primärvården och klassas idag som folksjukdomar i Sverige. Svenska vårdcentraler har svårt att möta vårdbehovet kring psykisk ohälsa, och det finns därför anledning att utforska nya behandlingsalternativ för att effektivisera vården. I denna studie användes en kontrollerad mellangruppsdesign i syfte att undersöka hur Compassionfokuserad terapi (CFT) i grupp påverkar primärvårdspatienters grad av ångest och depression, samt huruvida detta skiljer sig från sedvanlig behandling i form av kognitiv beteendeterapi (KBT). Designen omfattade tre grupper; en interventionsgrupp (n = 20) som erhöll CFT, en aktiv kontrollgrupp (n = 12) som erhöll KBT, samt en passiv kontrollgrupp (n = 20) bestående av psykologstudenter som ej erhöll behandling i någon form. Självskattningsformulären Beck’s Depression Inventory II, Beck’s Anxiety Inventory samt Self-Compassion Scale administrerades vid två tillfällen i samtliga grupper. Förändringarna undersöktes med hjälp av t-test, variansanalys för upprepade mätningar samt effektstorlekar. Resultaten påvisade en signifikant skillnad mellan de grupper som erhållit behandling och den passiva kontrollgruppen men ingen signifikant skillnad mellan den aktiva kontrollgruppen och interventionsgruppen. Dock återfanns en större effektstorlek gällande depression för interventionsgruppen jämfört med den aktiva kontrollgruppen. Resultaten indikerar att CFT i grupp kan vara en effektiv behandling för primärvårdspatienter med ångest och depression. Vidare forskning efterfrågas för att undersöka de långsiktiga effekterna av CFT. / Anxiety and depression are conditions commonly occurring within primary health care and is currently a major health scourge in Sweden. Swedish primary health care centers are facing challenges in meeting the needs concerning mental illness, and therefore the exploration of new options for treatment is warranted for improved effectiveness. In this study a controlled between-group design was used in the aim of exploring how group delivered Compassion focused therapy (CFT) affects the degree of depression and anxiety in primary healthcare patients, and also whether it differs from treatment as usual consisting of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The design comprised of three groups; an intervention group (n = 20) receiving CFT, an active control group (n = 12) receiving CBT, and a passive control group (n = 20) consisting of psychology students who did not receive any treatment. The self assessment questionnaires Beck’s Depression Inventory II, Beck’s Anxiety Inventory and Self-Compassion Scale was administered at two occasions in all groups. Changes were examined with t-tests, repeated measures analysis of variance and within-group effect sizes. The results showed a significant difference between the groups receiving treatment and the passive control group, but no significant difference between the intervention group and the active control group. However, a larger effect size was found regarding depression within the intervention group compared to the active control group. The results indicate that group delivered CFT may be an effective treatment regarding anxiety and depression in primary health care patients. Further research is warranted to explore the long term effects of CFT.

Among the 14 million persons living in the United States with current or remitted cancer, poor physical health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a significant concern. However, self-compassion (i.e., common humanity, mindfulness, self-kindness) may be a protective factor, either directly or indirectly, by allowing for a sense of empowerment and control over illness, and in turn, facilitating engagement in treatment and positive perceptions of health. Serial mediation analyses among persons living with current (n = 67) or remitted (n = 168) cancer lend support for a positive, direct association between self-compassion and physical HRQL, as well as indirect effects via internal perceived control and, to a lesser degree, treatment adherence. Mixed findings, especially among cancer patients, highlight limitations of resiliency traits while also supporting the notion that self-compassion interventions (e.g., Mindful Self-Compassion Training) may have positive implications for health-related control beliefs, behaviors, and quality of life in the cancer population.

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