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Kotera Y, Kirkman A, Beaumont J, Komorowska MA, Such E, Kaneda Y, Rushforth A. Self-Compassion during COVID-19 in Non-WEIRD Countries: A Narrative Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2016. [PMID: 37510457 PMCID: PMC10378945 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11142016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted people's mental health negatively worldwide, including in non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) countries. Self-compassion, kindness and understanding towards oneself in difficult times have received increasing attention in the field of mental health. Self-compassion is strongly associated with good mental health in various populations. This narrative review aimed to synthesise the evidence on self-compassion and mental health in non-WEIRD countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for empirical studies. Self-compassion was consistently associated with positive mental health in non-WEIRD countries too. However, how, and to what degree, each component of self-compassion impacts mental health remains to be evaluated across different cultures. Future research such as multi-national intervention studies, or component network meta-analysis, is needed to advance our understanding of how self-compassion improves mental health in different populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
| | - Ann Kirkman
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Julie Beaumont
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth Such
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
| | - Yudai Kaneda
- School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Annabel Rushforth
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
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Rushforth A, Durk M, Rothwell-Blake GAA, Kirkman A, Ng F, Kotera Y. Self-Compassion Interventions to Target Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6109. [PMID: 37372696 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20126109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare professionals' wellbeing can be adversely affected by the intense demands of, and the secondary traumatic stress associated with, their job. Self-compassion is associated with positive wellbeing outcomes across a variety of workforce populations and is potentially an important skill for healthcare workers, as it offers a way of meeting one's own distress with kindness and understanding. This systematic review aimed to synthesise and evaluate the utility of self-compassion interventions in reducing secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare worker population. Eligible articles were identified from research databases, including ProQuest, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. The quality of non-randomised and randomised trials was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The literature search yielded 234 titles, from which 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies reported promising effects of self-compassion training for secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare population, although these did not use controls. The methodological quality of these studies was medium. This highlights a research gap in this area. Three of these four studies recruited workers from Western countries and one recruited from a non-Western country. The Professional Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate secondary traumatic stress in all studies. The findings show preliminary evidence that self-compassion training may improve secondary traumatic stress in healthcare professional populations; however, there is a need for greater methodological quality in this field and controlled trials. The findings also show that the majority of research was conducted in Western countries. Future research should focus on a broader range of geographical locations to include non-Western countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Rushforth
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Mia Durk
- Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | | | - Ann Kirkman
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Fiona Ng
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK
| | - Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK
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Meng H, Wang X, Liu H. The Sussex Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale validity in a working sample using classical test theory, item response theory and network analysis. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1110076. [PMID: 37251038 PMCID: PMC10213251 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1110076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-compassion is a relatively new construct in the scientific literature, and there is currently a lack of robust psychometric measures of self-compassion in the workplace. Therefore, validating the Sussex Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale (SOCS-S) in various cultural settings is essential to add to the existing research on the psychometric properties of the scale. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the SOCS-S in a Chinese working sample of 1,132 participants (39.4% males) using classical test theory (CTT), item response theory (IRT), and Network Analysis. The results supported the validity of the SOCS-S's five-factor structure, with high internal consistency and measurement invariance across genders. IRT was applied using a graded response model (GRM) to assess the overall SOCS-S scale items, indicating that all 20 items had sufficient discrimination indices and acceptable difficulty indices. Moreover, it is worth noting that the results of the network analysis are consistent with those of the IRT analysis. In summary, the study confirms the validity of the SOCS-S as a scale for assessing self-compassion among Chinese occupational groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxing Meng
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaozhuang Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students’ Mental Development and Learning, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongpei Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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Self-compassion, mental health shame and work motivation in German and Japanese employees. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 35:113-124. [PMID: 37101367 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2148829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In Germany, more than two-thirds of employees report mental health issues, while in Japan, more than half of the country's workforce are mentally distressed. Although both countries are socio-economically developed in similar ways, their cultures differ strongly. This article investigates mental health constructs among German and Japanese employees. A cross-sectional design was employed in which 257 German and 165 Japanese employees completed self-report scales regarding mental health problems, mental health shame, self-compassion and work motivation. T-tests, correlation and regression analyses were conducted. Results show that German employees have significantly higher levels of mental health problems, mental health shame, self-compassion and work motivation than Japanese employees. While many correlations were similar, mental health problems were associated with intrinsic motivation in Germans, but not in Japanese. Shame was associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in Japanese, but not in Germans. Self-compassion - defined as a complex of compassion, humanity, care and unconditional, compassionate love - was associated with gender and age in Japanese, but not in German employees. Lastly, regression analysis uncovered that self-compassion was the strongest predictor of mental health problems in Germans. In Japanese employees, mental health shame is the strongest predictor of mental health problems. Results can guide managers and psychologists in internationalised organisations to effectively approach employee mental health.
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Holm-Hadulla RM, Mayer CH, Wendler H, Kremer TL, Kotera Y, Herpertz SC. Fear, depression, and well-being during COVID-19 in German and South African students: A cross-cultural comparison. Front Psychol 2022; 13:920125. [PMID: 36405127 PMCID: PMC9671164 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Various studies have shown a decrease in well-being and an increase in mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, only a few studies have explored fear, depression, and well-being cross-culturally during this time. Accordingly, we present the results of a cross-cultural study that (1) compares these mental health scores for German and South African students, (2) compares the correlations among them, and (3) identifies COVID-19 fear, well-being, and depression predictors. German and South African societies differ from each other socio-culturally, politically, and economically. Their university systems also differ to a large extent. University students in both countries completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Welch’s t-test, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed. (1) German students were found to have statistically lower levels of COVID-19 fear and depression, but lower levels of general well-being than South African students. (2) In both samples, fear of COVID-19 was negatively correlated with well-being and positively associated with female gender and depression. (3) Additionally, female gender, depression, and lower well-being were identified as predictors of COVID-19 fear in both samples. The findings indicate that the fear of COVID-19 is associated with and varies according to gender, depression, and well-being across cultures, and that the difference in the intensity of fear between German and South African students may be partly explained by cultural and contextual differences. These findings can create a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s impact on student communities and may be used by mental health practitioners and researchers to develop and apply culture-specific interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer M. Holm-Hadulla
- Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Rainer M. Holm-Hadulla,
| | - Claude-Hélène Mayer
- Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hannes Wendler
- Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Philosophy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas L. Kremer
- Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine C. Herpertz
- Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Kotera Y, Maybury S, Liu G, Colman R, Lieu J, Dosedlová J. Mental Well-Being of Czech University Students: Academic Motivation, Self-Compassion, and Self-Criticism. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:2135. [PMID: 36360475 PMCID: PMC9690773 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10112135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
University students in the Czech Republic suffer from a low level of mental well-being. Research in other university student populations suggests that academic motivation, self-compassion, and self-criticism are strongly related to mental well-being. Students who are motivated to study, are kind toward themselves, and are less judgmental of themselves tend to have a high level of mental well-being. These relationships had not been evaluated in Czech students. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationships between mental well-being, academic motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation), self-compassion (self-reassurance) and self-criticism (self-inadequacy and self-hate). Of 130 students approached, a convenience sampling of 119 psychology students at a university in the Czech Republic completed a survey regarding these constructs. Correlation, regression, and path analyses were conducted. Mental well-being was positively associated with intrinsic motivation and self-compassion, and negatively associated with amotivation and self-criticism. Self-compassion was identified as the strongest predictor of mental well-being. Lastly, intrinsic motivation mediated the pathway from self-compassion to mental well-being, but not the one from self-inadequacy to mental well-being, and the one from self-hate to mental well-being. Our findings can help educators to identify effective means to protect students' mental well-being. Cultivating students' self-compassion may be helpful to protect their mental well-being. University staff and educators in the Czech Republic need to consider ways to embed self-compassion training into their students' programmes or university life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
| | - Sarah Maybury
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Gillian Liu
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Rory Colman
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Jenai Lieu
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
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Kotera Y, Aledeh M, Rushforth A, Otoo N, Colman R, Taylor E. A Shorter Form of the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale: Construction and Factorial Validation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13864. [PMID: 36360743 PMCID: PMC9658934 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
While workplace mental health has attracted attention in many countries, work motivation remains under-researched. Research identified that work motivation is associated with many organisational positive outcomes including workplace mental health. One well-recognised measure is the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS). Conceptualised on the Self-Determination Theory, this 18-item scale examines six types of work motivation: Intrinsic Motivation, Integrated Regulation, Identified Regulation, Introjected Regulation, External Regulation, and Amotivation. WEIMS can be too long for busy people at work. Accordingly, we constructed and validated a shorter form of WEIMS (SWEIMS), comprising 12 items that evaluate the same six work motivation types. Data collected from two professional samples were analysed to construct and validate the factorial structure: 155 construction workers (138 males and 17 females, Age 40.28 ± 11.05) and 103 hospitality workers (47 males and 56 females, Age 28.2 ± 8.6 years). Correlation analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Two items from each type were selected based on the strength of correlations with the target WEIMS subscale. SWEIMS demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α ≧ 0.65), and strong correlations with the original version of WEIMS (r = 0.73) in both samples. SWEIMS confirmatory factor analysis replicated the six-factor model of the original SWEIMS. SWEIMS can be a reliable, valid, and user-friendly alternative to WEIMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK
| | - Muhammad Aledeh
- Klinik Donaustadt, Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, Langobardenstraße 122, AT-1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Annabel Rushforth
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Nelly Otoo
- Department of Human Resources and Administration, Khemas Care Partners, Carson, CA 90746, USA
| | - Rory Colman
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Elaina Taylor
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
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Kotera Y, Aledeh M, Barnes K, Rushforth A, Adam H, Riswani R. Academic Motivation of Indonesian University Students: Relationship with Self-Compassion and Resilience. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:2092. [PMID: 36292539 PMCID: PMC9602508 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10102092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Academic motivation is an important construct for university students, associated with student wellbeing and academic performance. Students who are motivated tend to feel and perform well. Self-compassion, that is kindness and understanding towards oneself in difficult times, and resilience, an ability to bounce back from difficulties, are also associated with student wellbeing and academic achievement. However, how these variables are related to each other has not been evaluated in Indonesian university students. Indonesian higher education has rapidly developed, focusing on student achievement while their wellbeing suffers. Understanding how academic motivation is linked with self-compassion and resilience can inform an effective way to augment their motivation. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship among these three variables. An opportunity sample of 156 students in Indonesia completed measures about those three constructs. Correlation, regression and moderation analyses were used. Intrinsic motivation was positively associated with extrinsic motivation and resilience. Amotivation was negatively associated with self-compassion and resilience. Self-compassion was positively associated with resilience. Both self-compassion and resilience predicted all three types of motivation apart from self-compassion for intrinsic motivation. Lastly, self-compassion nor resilience moderated the pathway from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation. Resilience interventions are recommended for Indonesian students to maintain intrinsic motivation. Our findings will help educators and wellbeing staff to identify helpful ways to support healthful motivation in this student population that is undergoing drastic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
| | - Muhammad Aledeh
- Danube City Hospital, Vienna Health Association, Langobardenstraße 122, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristian Barnes
- Moriarty, Flynn and Barnes, 51 Goldhill Plaza, #07-10/11, Singapore 308900, Singapore
| | - Annabel Rushforth
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Habib Adam
- Department of Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences, FH Technikum Vienna, Höchstädtpl. 6, 1200 Wien, Austria
| | - Riswani Riswani
- Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, State Islamic University of Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
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Fatuhrahmah U, Widiana HS. Bibliometric visualisation of industrial and organisational psychology during COVID-19 pandemic: Insight for future research. SA JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9557945 DOI: 10.4102/sajip.v48i0.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Orientation Industrial and organisational psychology (IOP) researchers have shown their contribution to solving COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace through the enormous number of studies. Research purpose This study intended to map IOP research related to the COVID-19 crisis to provide the research issues that have emerged and potential for future research. Motivation for the study All the IOP levels (worker, team and organisation) were impacted by COVID-19, and they continuously change. Researchers must be careful in directing their research and avoid focusing on certain levels or problems. Research approach/design and method A bibliometric visualisation analysis method was adopted in this study. Main findings The bibliometric results showed that the prominent keywords in IOP research-related COVID-19 are ‘human(s)’, ‘COVID-19’, keywords related to subject characteristics and mental health. Six clusters on the map showed the prominent themes: mental health, health care workers as the research subject, specific workplace issues, digital technology, methodologies used, and country. Furthermore, in every cluster, the depth overview of study results is presented. The top issues were at the worker-level, while the organisational-level issues gained limited attention. Practical/managerial implications For practitioners and managers, this study provides a complete picture of emerging issues during COVID-19 crisis ranging from causes, risk factors and solutions. For researchers, this study can provide insight for further research. Contribution/value-add This study provides a comprehensive overview of the IOP issues related-COVID-19 that will be beneficial as the basis for policymaking and recommendations for future potential areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ufi Fatuhrahmah
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Herlina Siwi Widiana
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Kotera Y, Asano K, Kotera H, Ohshima R, Rushforth A. Mental Health of Japanese Workers: Amotivation Mediates Self-Compassion on Mental Health Problems. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191710497. [PMID: 36078213 PMCID: PMC9517843 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Workplace mental health is a cause for concern in many countries. Globally, 78% of the workforce experienced impairment of their mental health in 2020. In Japan, more than half of employees are mentally distressed. Previously, research has identified that self-compassion (i.e., being kind and understanding towards oneself) and work motivation were important to their mental health. However, how these three components relate to each other remains to be elucidated. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the relationship between mental health problems, self-compassion and work motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation). A cross-sectional design was employed, where 165 Japanese workers completed self-report scales regarding those three components. A correlation and path analyses were conducted. Mental health problems were positively associated with amotivation and negatively associated with age and self-compassion. While intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation did not mediate the impact of self-compassion on mental health problems, amotivation did. The findings can help managers and organizational psychologists help identify effective approaches to improving work mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Kenichi Asano
- Department of Psychological Counseling, Faculty of Psychology, Mejiro University, Tokyo 161-0032, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Kotera
- Department Linguistics, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Remi Ohshima
- Department of Psychological Counseling, Faculty of Psychology, Mejiro University, Tokyo 161-0032, Japan
| | - Annabel Rushforth
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK
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Lima-Smit B, Nel K, Setwaba M. Cultural knowledge and perceptions of students towards mental illness in South Africa. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY IN AFRICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14330237.2022.2066367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Lima-Smit
- Department of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
| | - Kathryn Nel
- Research Administration and Development, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
| | - Mokgadi Setwaba
- Department of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
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Wellbeing in Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationship between Personal Resources and Exhaustion. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031714. [PMID: 35162737 PMCID: PMC8835097 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Italy was the second country to be affected by COVID-19 in early 2020, after China. The confrontation with the pandemic led to great changes in the world of work and, consequently, to the personal world of workers. In such a challenging situation, it is essential to be able to rely on resources that facilitate individual coping. The aim of this study was to understand the association between personal resources (optimism and humor) and exhaustion, and the role of self-compassion in this relationship. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses on a heterogeneous sample of 422 Italian workers during the first lockdown in April–May 2020. The results revealed that optimism and humor were positively associated with self-compassion; optimism and humor also had a negative association with exhaustion; and self-compassion had a mediating role between the two personal resources and exhaustion. These results confirmed the importance of personal resources in maintaining workers’ wellbeing during a challenging period such as the pandemic. The present study also contributes to the body of knowledge on self-compassion, a relatively new construct that has been little studied in the organizational field.
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Kotera Y, Kaluzeviciute G, Lloyd C, Edwards AM, Ozaki A. Qualitative Investigation into Therapists' Experiences of Online Therapy: Implications for Working Clients. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910295. [PMID: 34639594 PMCID: PMC8507863 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Online therapy has increasingly been utilised during the COVID-19 pandemic by many, including working populations. However, few qualitative studies have explored how online therapy is experienced in practice and discussed its implications for those working clients. Semi-structured interviews attended by nine integrative psychotherapists practising in California, the United States, were conducted. Thematic analysis of the transcripts identified three themes: (i) ‘Positive experiences of online therapy’, (ii) ‘Challenges experienced by therapists and clients in online therapy’, and (iii) ‘Preparation and training for online therapy’. Online therapy was assessed as being helpful, particularly in terms of mitigating against previous geographical and temporal barriers to uptake. However, due to technological disruptions and potential blurring of professional boundaries, online therapy may detract from the emotional salience of therapy, negatively impacting the therapeutic relationship and containment. Considering these positive experiences, participants expected that the demand for online therapy would continue to increase. Particularly in the occupational context, online therapy can offer interventions without fostering shame regarding mental health. The findings provide preliminary qualitative evidence that online therapy can be a useful adjunct to traditional forms of face-to-face therapy. However, therapists require more explicit training in implementing online therapy. Results are discussed in particular regarding the utility of this therapy for working clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kotera
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK; (G.K.); (C.L.); (A.-M.E.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Greta Kaluzeviciute
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK; (G.K.); (C.L.); (A.-M.E.)
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Christopher Lloyd
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK; (G.K.); (C.L.); (A.-M.E.)
| | - Ann-Marie Edwards
- College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK; (G.K.); (C.L.); (A.-M.E.)
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki 972-8322, Japan;
- Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan
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