Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

Marcela Matos; Kirsten McEwan; Martin Kanovský; Júlia Halamová; Stanley R. Steindl; Nuno Ferreira; Mariana Linharelhos; Daniel Rijo; Kenichi Asano; Sónia Gregório; Margarita G. Márquez; 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:10.1002/cpp.2601

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

Marcela Matos
, Kirsten McEwan
, Martin Kanovský
, Júlia Halamová
, Stanley R. Steindl
, Nuno Ferreira
, Mariana Linharelhos
, Daniel Rijo
, Kenichi Asano
, Sónia Gregório
, Margarita G. Márquez
, 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

Department of Social Sciences

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

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness. Methods: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1317-1333
Number of pages	17
Journal	Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Volume	28
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2601
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2021

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic
fears of compassion
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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10.1002/cpp.2601

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Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo, D., Asano, K., Gregório, S., Márquez, M. G., 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. (2021). Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 28(6), 1317-1333. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2601

@article{709945846db04cdfb5f084cfe22646a4,

title = "Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries",

abstract = "Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness. Methods: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.",

keywords = "COVID-19 pandemic, fears of compassion, 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 S{\'o}nia Greg{\'o}rio and M{\'a}rquez, \{Margarita G.\} 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 = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1002/cpp.2601",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

pages = "1317--1333",

journal = "Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy",

issn = "1063-3995",

publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Ltd",

number = "6",

}

Matos, M, McEwan, K, Kanovský, M, Halamová, J, Steindl, SR, Ferreira, N, Linharelhos, M, Rijo, D, Asano, K, Gregório, S, Márquez, MG, 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 2021, 'Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries', Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 1317-1333. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2601

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness 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 - Gregório, Sónia

AU - Márquez, Margarita G.

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

PY - 2021/11/1

Y1 - 2021/11/1

N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness. Methods: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.

AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness. Methods: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self-report measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness. Results: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries. Conclusions: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.

KW - COVID-19 pandemic

KW - fears of compassion

KW - mental health

KW - moderator effect

KW - multinational study

KW - social safeness

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85105780788

U2 - 10.1002/cpp.2601

DO - 10.1002/cpp.2601

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85105780788

SN - 1063-3995

VL - 28

SP - 1317

EP - 1333

JO - Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

JF - Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

IS - 6

ER -

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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