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Barker ME, Leach KT, Levett-Jones T. Patient's views of empathic and compassionate healthcare interactions: A scoping review. NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 2023; 131:105957. [PMID: 37734368 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compassion and empathy are integral to safe and effective patient care. However, to date, most studies have focused on exploring, defining, measuring and analysing empathy and compassion from the perspective of researchers or clinicians. There has been limited attention to the perspectives of patients. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review was to map the literature to identify patients' views of healthcare provider behaviours that exemplify empathic and compassionate interactions. METHOD This review used the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. A comprehensive search of eight electronic databases was conducted with English language studies published in the last 10 years considered for inclusion. RESULTS Database searching resulted in 459 records for initial screening. After de-duplication and conducting a title and abstract review, 32 full-text articles were screened for eligibility. A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically reviewed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The included papers profiled studies that had been conducted in clinical settings across seven countries. The healthcare encounters described in the papers were with a range of healthcare providers. Two overarching and interconnected categories of behaviours were identified as indicative of empathic/compassionate encounters: (1) communication skills such as listening, touch, body language, eye contact and positive demeanour; and (2) helping behaviours demonstrated by small acts of kindness that go beyond routine healthcare. CONCLUSION Given the breadth of studies describing the positive impact of empathy/compassion on people's physical and psychosocial wellbeing, the results from this review are valuable and shed new light on patients' views and experiences. The results provide a deeper understanding of healthcare provider behaviours that exemplify empathic and compassionate healthcare interactions and can be used to inform the education and training of healthcare providers from all disciplines.
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Gao H, Xia Q, Zhang X, Chen Y, Yan J, Gao J, Zhang L, Zhang J, Wang K, Li C, Ju P, Zhu C. Intermediary roles of prospective memory and retrospective memory in the comorbidity of depression and pain. Gen Psychiatr 2023; 36:e100895. [PMID: 36844966 PMCID: PMC9950883 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2022-100895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Patients who suffer comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic pain (CP) maintain a complex interplay between maladaptive prospective memory (PM) and retrospective memory (RM) with physical pain, and their complications are still unknown. Aims We aimed to focus on the full cognitive performance and memory complaints in patients with MDD and CP, patients with depression without CP, and control subjects, considering the possible influence of depressed affect and chronic pain severity. Methods According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the criteria given by the International Association of Pain, a total of 124 participants were included in this cross-sectional cohort study. Among them, 82 depressed inpatients and outpatients from Anhui Mental Health centre were divided into two groups: a comorbidity group(patients with MDD and CP) (n=40) and a depression group (patients with depression without CP) (n=42). Meanwhile, 42 healthy controls were screened from the hospital's physical examination centre from January 2019 to January 2022. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 (HAMD-24) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used to evaluate the severity of depression. The Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale (PI-NRS), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 Chinese version (SF-MPQ-2-CN), Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic Section (MoCA-BC), and Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) were used to assess pain-related features and the global cognitive functioning of study participants. Results The impairments in PM and RM differed remarkably among the three groups (F=7.221, p<0.001; F=7.408, p<0.001) and were severe in the comorbidity group. Spearman correlation analysis revealed the PM and RM were positively correlated with continuous pain and neuropathic pain (r=0.431, p<0.001; r=0.253, p=0.022 and r=0.415, p<0.001; r=0.247, p=0.025), respectively. Regression analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between affective descriptors and total BDI-II score (β=0.594, t=6.600, p<0.001). Examining the mediator pathways revealed the indirect role of PM and RM in patients with comorbid MDD and CP. Conclusions Patients with comorbid MDD and CP presented more PM and RM impairments than patients with MDD without CP. PM and RM are possibly mediating factors that affect the aetiology of comorbid MDD and CP. Trial registration number chiCTR2000029917.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Gao
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qingrong Xia
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xulai Zhang
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Junwei Yan
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jianliang Gao
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Loufeng Zhang
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Keming Wang
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Li
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Peijun Ju
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cuizhen Zhu
- Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Common Psychiatry Department, Hefei Fourth People’s Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
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Winters DE, Pruitt PJ, Gambin M, Fukui S, Cyders MA, Pierce BJ, Lay K, Damoiseaux JS. Cognitive and Affective Empathy as Indirect Paths Between Heterogeneous Depression Symptoms on Default Mode and Salience Network Connectivity in Adolescents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:213-222. [PMID: 34518947 PMCID: PMC8918056 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01242-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Depression amongst adolescents is a prevalent disorder consisting of heterogeneous emotional and functional symptoms-often involving impairments in social domains such as empathy. Cognitive and affective components of empathy as well as their associated neural networks (default mode network for cognitive empathy and salience network for affective empathy) are affected by depression. Depression commonly onsets during adolescence, a critical period for brain development underlying empathy. However, the available research in this area conceptualizes depression as a homogenous construct, and thereby miss to represent the full spectrum of symptoms. The present study aims to extend previous literature by testing whether cognitive and affective empathy indirectly account for associations between brain network connectivity and heterogeneous depression symptoms in adolescents. Heterogeneous functional and emotional symptoms of depression were measured using the child depression inventory. Our results indicate that cognitive empathy mediates the association between default mode network functional connectivity and emotional symptoms of depression. More specifically, that adolescents with a stronger positive association between the default mode network and cognitive empathy show lower emotional depression symptoms. This finding highlights the importance of cognitive empathy in the relationship between brain function and depression symptoms, which may be an important consideration for existing models of depression in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Patrick J Pruitt
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Sadaaki Fukui
- Indiana University School of Social Work, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Melissa A Cyders
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | - Kathy Lay
- Indiana University School of Social Work, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jessica S Damoiseaux
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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A formal evaluation of The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic orientation session: A quality improvement project. Can J Pain 2023; 7:2111993. [PMID: 36643864 PMCID: PMC9839373 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2022.2111993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Chronic pain affects approximately one in every five Canadians and has a substantial impact on psychological well-being, relationships, ability to attend work or school, and overall functioning.The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic introduced orientation sessions, with the aim of providing new patients with pain education to help prepare patients for engagement with multimodal pain management strategies. This report summarizes the results of a formative evaluation of the orientation session at The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic to determine whether patients perceived the orientation session as beneficial. Methods Interviews were conducted, transcribed, and then thematically analyzed to understand patients' perspectives on the orientation session. Coding was done by two team members using the constant comparison analyses method with key ideas, concepts, and patterns identified and compared to identify similarities. Results Between September 6 and October 18, 2019, 18 patients attended an orientation session and 12 consented to participation and completed telephone interviews. The six themes identified included (1) feeling of community, (2) participants feeling heard by providers, (3) appreciation of the holistic approach, (4) availability of community resources, (5) barriers to access, and (6) discordant feelings of preparedness for the physician appointment. Conclusion Results from this evaluation indicate that the orientation session offered at The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic improves chronic pain literacy, reduces feeling of isolation, and instills hope. As such, it appears to be a valuable component of pain clinic programs.
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Impaired Cognitive Empathy in Outpatients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study. Neural Plast 2021; 2021:4430594. [PMID: 34616448 PMCID: PMC8487839 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4430594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, a growing number of researchers showed significant interest in psychological and social interventions to manage chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Cognitive and emotional empathy is an attractive and valuable sociopsychological factor that may provide protection and resilience against chronic MSK pain. However, its effect on outpatients remains underexplored. Objective To compare the empathy ability between chronic MSK pain outpatients and healthy controls and explore the relationship between cognitive/emotional empathy and chronic pain. Methods Patients with chronic MSK pain (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 26) completed the pain assessment and empathy ability task, utilizing a multidimensional empathy assessment tool with satisfactory reliability and validity (i.e., the Chinese version of the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET-C)). Results The data indicated that the chronic MSK pain outpatients had impaired cognitive empathy (i.e., lower squared cognitive empathy accuracy: Student's t = −2.119, P = 0.040, and longer task completion time: Student's t = 3.382, P = 0.002) compared to healthy controls, and cognitive empathy was negatively correlated with pain intensity (r = −0.614, P = 0.002). Further, the impaired cognitive empathy was present in identifying positive, but not negative emotions. Conclusion These results indicate that chronic MSK pain is associated with impaired empathy ability. Our studies contribute to offering a potential direction for developing psychosocial interventions to treat chronic MSK pain.
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de Pinho LG, Lopes MJ, Correia T, Sampaio F, do Arco HR, Mendes A, Marques MDC, Fonseca C. Patient-Centered Care for Patients with Depression or Anxiety Disorder: An Integrative Review. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11080776. [PMID: 34442420 PMCID: PMC8400282 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11080776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
People have specific and unique individual and contextual characteristics, so healthcare should increasingly opt for person-centered care models. Thus, this review aimed to identify and synthesize the indicators for the care process of the person with depression and/or anxiety disorders, based on patient-centered care, going through the stages of diagnostic assessment and care planning, including intervention. An integrative literature review with research in seven scientific databases and a narrative analysis were carried out. Twenty articles were included, with indicators for diagnostic evaluation and care/intervention planning being extracted. Care planning focused on people with depression and/or anxiety disorder must be individualized, dynamic, flexible, andparticipatory. It must respond to the specific needs of the person, contemplating the identification of problems, the establishment of individual objectives, shared decision making, information and education, systematic feedback, and case management, and it should meet the patient’s preferences and satisfaction with care and involve the family and therapeutic management in care. The existence of comorbidities reinforces the importance of flexible and individualized care planning in order to respond to the specific health conditions of each person.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Guedes de Pinho
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.L.); (M.d.C.M.); (C.F.)
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-266-730-300
| | - Manuel José Lopes
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.L.); (M.d.C.M.); (C.F.)
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
| | - Tânia Correia
- Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
- NursID: Innovation & Development in Nursing Research Group, CINTESIS—Center for Health Technology and Services Research, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Francisco Sampaio
- NursID: Innovation & Development in Nursing Research Group, CINTESIS—Center for Health Technology and Services Research, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- Higher School of Health Fernando Pessoa, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena Reis do Arco
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
- Superior School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, 7300-555 Portalegre, Portugal
| | - Artur Mendes
- Psychiatry Department, Hospital Espírito Santo, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
| | - Maria do Céu Marques
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.L.); (M.d.C.M.); (C.F.)
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
| | - César Fonseca
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.L.); (M.d.C.M.); (C.F.)
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), 7000-811 Évora, Portugal;
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Sanders JJ, Dubey M, Hall JA, Catzen HZ, Blanch-Hartigan D, Schwartz R. What is empathy? Oncology patient perspectives on empathic clinician behaviors. Cancer 2021; 127:4258-4265. [PMID: 34351620 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oncology patients and physicians value empathy because of its association with improved health outcomes. Common measures of empathy lack consistency and were developed without direct input from patients. Because of their intense engagement with health care systems, oncology patients may have unique perspectives on what behaviors signal empathy in a clinical setting. METHODS As part of a cross-sectional study of patient perspectives on clinician empathy at an academic cancer center in the northeastern United States, the authors solicited up to 10 free-text responses to an open-ended question about what clinician behaviors define empathy. RESULTS The authors categorized open-ended responses from 89 oncology patients into 5 categories representing 14 themes. These categories were relationship sensitivity, focus on the whole person, communication, clinician attributes, and institutional resources and care processes. Frequently represented themes, including listening, understanding, and attention to emotions and what matters most, aligned with existing measures of empathy; behaviors that were not well represented among existing measures included qualities of information sharing and other communication elements. Patients also associated clinician demeanor, accessibility, and competence with empathy. CONCLUSIONS Oncology patients' perspectives on empathy highlight clinician behaviors and attributes that may help to refine patient experience measures and may be adopted by clinicians and cancer centers to enhance patient care and outcomes. High-quality communication skills training can promote active listening and paying attention to the whole person. A system-level focus on delivering empathic care may improve patients' experiences and outcomes. LAY SUMMARY Oncology patients' responses to an open-ended question about empathic clinician behavior have revealed insights into a variety of behaviors that are perceived as demonstrative of empathy. These include behaviors that imply sensitivity to the clinician-patient relationship, such as listening and understanding and attention to the whole person. Participants valued caring communication and demeanor and clinician accessibility. Perspective taking was not common among answers. Many existing measures of clinical care quality do not include the behaviors cited by patients as empathic. These results can inform efforts to refine quality measures of empathy-associated behaviors in clinical practice. Cancer centers can use skills training to improve elements of communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Sanders
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Manisha Dubey
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Judith A Hall
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hannah Z Catzen
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Rachel Schwartz
- WellMD and WellPhD Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
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Simko LC, Rhodes DC, Gumireddy A, Schreiber J, Booth A, Hawkins M. Effects of a Chronic Pain Simulation Empathy Training Kit on the Empathy of Interprofessional Healthcare Students for Chronic Pain Patients. Clin Simul Nurs 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecns.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Teaching empathy in an interprofessional setting with a focus on decategorization: Introducing I-Team. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xjep.2020.100395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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10
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Catlow R, Aikins-Snyper F, Carson M, Jaggi A, Bench S. Empathy in Action in Healthcare (EACH): A mixed methods study of nurses' and therapists' empathy. Int J Orthop Trauma Nurs 2020; 39:100777. [PMID: 32359961 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijotn.2020.100777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a plethora of research on empathy and its associated constructs, there is little evidence exploring clinicians' perceptions of their empathy and its impact on service level outcomes. METHODS The aim of this single centre mixed methods study was to investigate nurses' and therapists' empathy levels and explore their views regarding its impact on clinical decision making at a national specialist orthopaedic centre. Data were collected from 126 respondents using an online validated empathy scale (Jefferson scale) supplemented by interviews with a convenience sample of 20 respondents. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative interview data were subjected to a standard process of inductive thematic analysis prior to seeking relationships between the two datasets. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in empathy levels between nurses and therapists (p = 0.031), with nurses scoring lower than therapists. Interview findings identified four key themes; displaying empathy, therapeutic use of self, influences and impacts, and learning. Differences between empathy scores and participants' subjective accounts of empathy were apparent. CONCLUSION Empathy is an important construct built upon personal and professional experiences. Previous research reports empathy as a positive tool, however, our data suggest that its inappropriate use might also have a negative impact on service delivery and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anju Jaggi
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, UK
| | - Suzanne Bench
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, UK; London South Bank University, UK.
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Khosravani V, Samimi Ardestani SM, Alvani A, Amirinezhad A. Alexithymia, empathy, negative affect and physical symptoms in patients with asthma. Clin Psychol Psychother 2020; 27:736-748. [PMID: 32285550 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Although alexithymia has been found to be associated with physical symptoms in psychosomatic disorders such as asthma, mechanisms linking this association are unknown. However, affective alexithymic features may be associated with physical symptoms in the presence of deficits in affective characteristics such as low empathy and high negative affect. This study aimed to assess direct effects of alexithymic traits on physical symptoms and indirect effects of these subscales through empathy and negative affect (e.g. depressive, anxious and stress symptoms) by controlling for asthma severity in patients with asthma. Three hundred patients with asthma completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and the Physical Symptoms Inventory (PSI). After controlling for asthma severity, the results showed that alexithymia subscales of the TAS-20 had no direct effects on physical symptoms, but the difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) subscale of the TAS-20 was associated with affective empathy and negative affect. Affective empathy was significantly related to negative affect. Affective empathy and negative affect were associated with physical symptoms. The affective subscale of alexithymia on the TAS-20, that is DIF, indirectly affected physical symptoms through affective empathy and negative affect. Findings suggest that patients with asthma who have high levels of DIF may show high physical symptoms in the presence of low affective empathy and high negative affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Khosravani
- Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Samimi Ardestani
- Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Alvani
- Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Ali Amirinezhad
- Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
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Hoplock LB, Lobchuk MM. Are perspective-taking outcomes always positive? Challenges and mitigation strategies. Nurs Forum 2019; 55:177-181. [PMID: 31724743 DOI: 10.1111/nuf.12413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Engaging in perspective-taking often has positive outcomes for both healthcare providers and patients. Perspective-taking by healthcare providers has been linked to increased patient satisfaction and compliance, patients' positive perceptions of healthcare providers' interpersonal skills, and a reduction in judgmental attitudes toward individuals who engage in health-risk behaviors. The positive outcomes that are associated with perspective-taking are often highlighted in the literature. However, less discussed are the negative outcomes. AIM This paper discusses the positive and negative outcomes associated with perspective-taking and presents potential methods for mitigating negative outcomes. CONCLUSION When designing and implementing perspective-taking interventions, educators and researchers should consider potential negative intervention outcomes and strategies to attenuate these outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa B Hoplock
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Michelle M Lobchuk
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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Palombaro KM, Black JD, Dole RL, Jones SA, Stewart AR. Civic-Mindedness Sustains Empathy in a Cohort of Physical Therapy Students: A Pilot Cohort Study. J Patient Exp 2019; 7:185-192. [PMID: 32851139 PMCID: PMC7427372 DOI: 10.1177/2374373519837246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Empathy is critical to patient-centered care and thus is a valued trait in graduate health-care students. The relationship between empathy and civic-mindedness in health professions has not previously been explored. Objectives: (a) To determine whether significant differences occurred on the Jefferson Scale for Empathy–Health Professions Student Version (JSE-HPS) and Civic-Minded Professional scale (CMP) and its subscales across the curriculum, (b) to explore a potential relationship between civic-mindedness and empathy in a cohort of graduate physical therapy (PT) students at regular intervals, and (c) to explore the predictive ability of civic-mindedness on empathy scores. Methods: This study was a convenience sample of a cohort of 48 PT students who completed both the JSE-HPS and the CMP at 4 points of a service-learning intensive curriculum. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, a Friedman’s analysis of variance with Wilcoxon signed-ranks post hoc testing, and Spearman correlations with stepwise linear regressions. Results: Statistically significant differences were not found for the JSE-HPS. Civic-Minded Professional scores increased across the curriculum. The JSE-HPS, the CMP, and various CMP subscales were significantly correlated. The JSE-HPS pretest scores were predictive of the year 1 and 2 posttest JSE-HPS scores. Conclusion: This study’s findings indicate that service-learning and the resulting development of civic-mindedness supports empathy. Programs could use JSE-HPS pretests to identify individual graduate students need for empathy mentorship upon program entrance or as one admission criterion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin M Palombaro
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA, USA
| | - Jill D Black
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA, USA
| | - Robin L Dole
- School of Human Service Professions, Widener University, Chester, PA, USA
| | - Sidney A Jones
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA, USA
| | - Alexander R Stewart
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA, USA
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Snyder M, Handrup CT. Challenges in Treatment of Comorbid Chronic Pain, Depression, and Anxiety. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2018; 56:17-21. [DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20180601-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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15
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Beebe M(M, Utley R. Primary Care Depression Screening: Relationship to Chronic Pain and Gender. J Nurse Pract 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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