Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

Marcela Matos; Kirsten McEwan; Martin Kanovský; Júlia Halamová; Stanley R. Steindl; Nuno Ferreira; Mariana Linharelhos; Daniel Rijo; Kenichi Asano; Margarita G. Márquez; Sónia Gregório; Sara P. Vilas; Gonzalo Brito-Pons; Paola Lucena-Santos; Margareth da Silva Oliveira; Erika Leonardo de Souza; Lorena Llobenes; Natali Gumiy; Maria Ileana Costa; Noor Habib; Reham Hakem; Hussain Khrad; Ahmad Alzahrani; Simone Cheli; Nicola Petrocchi; Elli Tholouli; Philia Issari; Gregoris Simos; Vibeke Lunding-Gregersen; Ask Elklit; Russell Kolts; Allison C. Kelly; Catherine Bortolon; Pascal Delamillieure; Marine Paucsik; Julia E. Wahl; Mariusz Zieba; Mateusz Zatorski; Tomasz Komendziński; Shuge Zhang; Jaskaran Basran; Antonios Kagialis; James Kirby; Paul Gilbert

doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

Marcela Matos, Kirsten McEwan, Martin Kanovský, Júlia Halamová, Stanley R. Steindl, Nuno Ferreira, Mariana Linharelhos, Daniel Rijo, Kenichi Asano, Margarita G. Márquez, Sónia Gregório, Sara P. Vilas, Gonzalo Brito-Pons, Paola Lucena-Santos, Margareth da Silva Oliveira, Erika Leonardo de Souza, Lorena Llobenes, Natali Gumiy, Maria Ileana Costa, Noor HabibReham Hakem, Hussain Khrad, Ahmad Alzahrani, Simone Cheli, Nicola Petrocchi, Elli Tholouli, Philia Issari, Gregoris Simos, Vibeke Lunding-Gregersen, Ask Elklit, Russell Kolts, Allison C. Kelly, Catherine Bortolon, Pascal Delamillieure, Marine Paucsik, Julia E. Wahl, Mariusz Zieba, Mateusz Zatorski, Tomasz Komendziński, Shuge Zhang, Jaskaran Basran, Antonios Kagialis, James Kirby, Paul Gilbert

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented detrimental impact on mental health in people around the world. It is important therefore to explore factors that may buffer or accentuate the risk of mental health problems in this context. Given that compassion has numerous benefits for mental health, emotion regulation, and social relationships, this study examines the buffering effects of different flows of compassion (for self, for others, from others) against the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, and social safeness. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of 4057 adult participants from the general community population, collected across 21 countries from Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Participants completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, compassion (for self, for others, from others), depression, anxiety, stress, and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower scores in social safeness. Self-compassion and compassion from others were associated with lower psychological distress and higher social safeness. Compassion for others was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas compassion from others moderated the effects of fears of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the universal protective role of compassion, in particular self-compassion and compassion from others, in promoting resilience by buffering against the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness.

Original language	English
Journal	Mindfulness
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2022

Keywords

Compassion
COVID-19
Mental health
Moderator effect
Multinational study
Social safeness

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

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Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo, D., Asano, K., Márquez, M. G., Gregório, S., Vilas, S. P., Brito-Pons, G., Lucena-Santos, P., da Silva Oliveira, M., de Souza, E. L., Llobenes, L., Gumiy, N., Costa, M. I., ... Gilbert, P. (Accepted/In press). Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

@article{019d026e278c4fd698300ca70d5462e9,

title = "Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries",

abstract = "Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented detrimental impact on mental health in people around the world. It is important therefore to explore factors that may buffer or accentuate the risk of mental health problems in this context. Given that compassion has numerous benefits for mental health, emotion regulation, and social relationships, this study examines the buffering effects of different flows of compassion (for self, for others, from others) against the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, and social safeness. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of 4057 adult participants from the general community population, collected across 21 countries from Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Participants completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, compassion (for self, for others, from others), depression, anxiety, stress, and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower scores in social safeness. Self-compassion and compassion from others were associated with lower psychological distress and higher social safeness. Compassion for others was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas compassion from others moderated the effects of fears of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the universal protective role of compassion, in particular self-compassion and compassion from others, in promoting resilience by buffering against the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness.",

keywords = "Compassion, COVID-19, Mental health, Moderator effect, Multinational study, Social safeness",

author = "Marcela Matos and Kirsten McEwan and Martin Kanovsk{\'y} and J{\'u}lia Halamov{\'a} and Steindl, {Stanley R.} and Nuno Ferreira and Mariana Linharelhos and Daniel Rijo and Kenichi Asano and M{\'a}rquez, {Margarita G.} and S{\'o}nia Greg{\'o}rio and Vilas, {Sara P.} and Gonzalo Brito-Pons and Paola Lucena-Santos and {da Silva Oliveira}, Margareth and {de Souza}, {Erika Leonardo} and Lorena Llobenes and Natali Gumiy and Costa, {Maria Ileana} and Noor Habib and Reham Hakem and Hussain Khrad and Ahmad Alzahrani and Simone Cheli and Nicola Petrocchi and Elli Tholouli and Philia Issari and Gregoris Simos and Vibeke Lunding-Gregersen and Ask Elklit and Russell Kolts and Kelly, {Allison C.} and Catherine Bortolon and Pascal Delamillieure and Marine Paucsik and Wahl, {Julia E.} and Mariusz Zieba and Mateusz Zatorski and Tomasz Komendzi{\'n}ski and Shuge Zhang and Jaskaran Basran and Antonios Kagialis and James Kirby and Paul Gilbert",

note = "Funding Information: The overall research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. This work was supported by the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (M.M., Strategic Project UID/PSI/00730/2020). The Slovak arm of this study was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (J.H. & M.K.; Contract no. PP-COVID-20–0074) and the Vedeck{\'a} grantov{\'a} agent{\'u}ra VEGA (J.H.; Grant 1/0075/19). The Canadian arm of the study was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (A.K., ref. 435–2017-0062). The Brazilian arm was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (P.L.-S.; SFRH/BD/130677/2017) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (M.S.O.; Scientific Productivity Grant). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2",

language = "English",

journal = "Mindfulness",

issn = "1868-8527",

publisher = "Springer Verlag",

}

Matos, M, McEwan, K, Kanovský, M, Halamová, J, Steindl, SR, Ferreira, N, Linharelhos, M, Rijo, D, Asano, K, Márquez, MG, Gregório, S, Vilas, SP, Brito-Pons, G, Lucena-Santos, P, da Silva Oliveira, M, de Souza, EL, Llobenes, L, Gumiy, N, Costa, MI, Habib, N, Hakem, R, Khrad, H, Alzahrani, A, Cheli, S, Petrocchi, N, Tholouli, E, Issari, P, Simos, G, Lunding-Gregersen, V, Elklit, A, Kolts, R, Kelly, AC, Bortolon, C, Delamillieure, P, Paucsik, M, Wahl, JE, Zieba, M, Zatorski, M, Komendziński, T, Zhang, S, Basran, J, Kagialis, A, Kirby, J & Gilbert, P 2022, 'Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries', Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

AU - Matos, Marcela

AU - McEwan, Kirsten

AU - Kanovský, Martin

AU - Halamová, Júlia

AU - Steindl, Stanley R.

AU - Ferreira, Nuno

AU - Linharelhos, Mariana

AU - Rijo, Daniel

AU - Asano, Kenichi

AU - Márquez, Margarita G.

AU - Gregório, Sónia

AU - Vilas, Sara P.

AU - Brito-Pons, Gonzalo

AU - Lucena-Santos, Paola

AU - da Silva Oliveira, Margareth

AU - de Souza, Erika Leonardo

AU - Llobenes, Lorena

AU - Gumiy, Natali

AU - Costa, Maria Ileana

AU - Habib, Noor

AU - Hakem, Reham

AU - Khrad, Hussain

AU - Alzahrani, Ahmad

AU - Cheli, Simone

AU - Petrocchi, Nicola

AU - Tholouli, Elli

AU - Issari, Philia

AU - Simos, Gregoris

AU - Lunding-Gregersen, Vibeke

AU - Elklit, Ask

AU - Kolts, Russell

AU - Kelly, Allison C.

AU - Bortolon, Catherine

AU - Delamillieure, Pascal

AU - Paucsik, Marine

AU - Wahl, Julia E.

AU - Zieba, Mariusz

AU - Zatorski, Mateusz

AU - Komendziński, Tomasz

AU - Zhang, Shuge

AU - Basran, Jaskaran

AU - Kagialis, Antonios

AU - Kirby, James

AU - Gilbert, Paul

N1 - Funding Information: The overall research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. This work was supported by the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (M.M., Strategic Project UID/PSI/00730/2020). The Slovak arm of this study was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (J.H. & M.K.; Contract no. PP-COVID-20–0074) and the Vedecká grantová agentúra VEGA (J.H.; Grant 1/0075/19). The Canadian arm of the study was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (A.K., ref. 435–2017-0062). The Brazilian arm was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (P.L.-S.; SFRH/BD/130677/2017) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (M.S.O.; Scientific Productivity Grant). Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented detrimental impact on mental health in people around the world. It is important therefore to explore factors that may buffer or accentuate the risk of mental health problems in this context. Given that compassion has numerous benefits for mental health, emotion regulation, and social relationships, this study examines the buffering effects of different flows of compassion (for self, for others, from others) against the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, and social safeness. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of 4057 adult participants from the general community population, collected across 21 countries from Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Participants completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, compassion (for self, for others, from others), depression, anxiety, stress, and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower scores in social safeness. Self-compassion and compassion from others were associated with lower psychological distress and higher social safeness. Compassion for others was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas compassion from others moderated the effects of fears of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the universal protective role of compassion, in particular self-compassion and compassion from others, in promoting resilience by buffering against the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness.

AB - Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented detrimental impact on mental health in people around the world. It is important therefore to explore factors that may buffer or accentuate the risk of mental health problems in this context. Given that compassion has numerous benefits for mental health, emotion regulation, and social relationships, this study examines the buffering effects of different flows of compassion (for self, for others, from others) against the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, and social safeness. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of 4057 adult participants from the general community population, collected across 21 countries from Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Participants completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, compassion (for self, for others, from others), depression, anxiety, stress, and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower scores in social safeness. Self-compassion and compassion from others were associated with lower psychological distress and higher social safeness. Compassion for others was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas compassion from others moderated the effects of fears of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the universal protective role of compassion, in particular self-compassion and compassion from others, in promoting resilience by buffering against the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness.

KW - Compassion

KW - COVID-19

KW - Mental health

KW - Moderator effect

KW - Multinational study

KW - Social safeness

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122283519&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

DO - 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85122283519

SN - 1868-8527

JO - Mindfulness

JF - Mindfulness

ER -

Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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