Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study

Marcela Matos; Kirsten McEwan; Martin Kanovský; Júlia Halamová; Stanley R. Steindl; Nuno Ferreira; Mariana Linharelhos; Daniel Rijo; Kenichi Asano; Sara P. Vilas; Margarita G. Márquez; Sónia Gregório; 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:10.3390/ijerph20031845

Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study

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

University of Coimbra
University of Derby
Comenius University
University of Queensland
Mejiro University
Universidad Europea de Madrid
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
Conectta: Mindfulness & Compassion
Motivación Compasiva
Alfaisal University
University of Florence
John Cabot University
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Department of Educational and Social Policy
University of Macedonia
Mindwork Psycological Center
University of Southern Denmark
Eastern Washington University
University of Waterloo
Grenoble Alpes University
Université de Caen
ISTS - Imagerie et Stratégies Thérapeutiques de la Schizophrénie
The Mind Institute Poland
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

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

Abstract

During large-scale disasters, social support, caring behaviours, and compassion are shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes. This multi-national study aimed to assess the fluctuations in compassion over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (Time 1 n = 4156, Time 2 n = 980, Time 3 n = 825) from 23 countries completed online self-report questionnaires measuring the flows of compassion (i.e., Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales) and fears of compassion toward self and others and from others (i.e., Fears of Compassion Scales) and mental health at three time-points during a 10-month period. The results for the flows of compassion showed that self-compassion increased at Time 3. Compassion for others increased at Time 2 and 3 for the general population, but in contrast, it decreased in health professionals, possibly linked to burnout. Compassion from others did not change in Time 2, but it did increase significantly in Time 3. For fears of compassion, fears of self-compassion reduced over time, fears of compassion for others showed more variation, reducing for the general public but increasing for health professionals, whilst fears of compassion from others did not change over time. Health professionals, those with compassion training, older adults, and women showed greater flows of compassion and lower fears of compassion compared with the general population, those without compassion training, younger adults, and men. These findings highlight that, in a period of shared suffering, people from multiple countries and nationalities show a cumulative improvement in compassion and reduction in fears of compassion, suggesting that, when there is intense suffering, people become more compassionate to self and others and less afraid of, and resistant to, compassion.

Original language	English
Article number	1845
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	20
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031845
Publication status	Published - Feb 2023

UN SDGs

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

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

compassion
COVID-19
fears of compassion
longitudinal
multilevel modelling
multinational study
pandemic

Access to Document

10.3390/ijerph20031845

Cite this

Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S. R., Ferreira, N., Linharelhos, M., Rijo, D., Asano, K., Vilas, S. P., Márquez, M. G., Gregório, S., Brito-Pons, G., Lucena-Santos, P., da Silva Oliveira, M., de Souza, E. L., Llobenes, L., Gumiy, N., Costa, M. I., ... Gilbert, P. (2023). Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), Article 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031845

@article{aca4a86d9b8c4cbcaef1fa1e5e16947e,

title = "Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study",

abstract = "During large-scale disasters, social support, caring behaviours, and compassion are shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes. This multi-national study aimed to assess the fluctuations in compassion over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (Time 1 n = 4156, Time 2 n = 980, Time 3 n = 825) from 23 countries completed online self-report questionnaires measuring the flows of compassion (i.e., Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales) and fears of compassion toward self and others and from others (i.e., Fears of Compassion Scales) and mental health at three time-points during a 10-month period. The results for the flows of compassion showed that self-compassion increased at Time 3. Compassion for others increased at Time 2 and 3 for the general population, but in contrast, it decreased in health professionals, possibly linked to burnout. Compassion from others did not change in Time 2, but it did increase significantly in Time 3. For fears of compassion, fears of self-compassion reduced over time, fears of compassion for others showed more variation, reducing for the general public but increasing for health professionals, whilst fears of compassion from others did not change over time. Health professionals, those with compassion training, older adults, and women showed greater flows of compassion and lower fears of compassion compared with the general population, those without compassion training, younger adults, and men. These findings highlight that, in a period of shared suffering, people from multiple countries and nationalities show a cumulative improvement in compassion and reduction in fears of compassion, suggesting that, when there is intense suffering, people become more compassionate to self and others and less afraid of, and resistant to, compassion.",

keywords = "compassion, COVID-19, fears of compassion, longitudinal, multilevel modelling, multinational study, pandemic",

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 Vilas, \{Sara P.\} and M{\'a}rquez, \{Margarita G.\} and S{\'o}nia Greg{\'o}rio 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} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

doi = "10.3390/ijerph20031845",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

journal = "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health",

issn = "1661-7827",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "3",

}

Matos, M, McEwan, K, Kanovský, M, Halamová, J, Steindl, SR, Ferreira, N, Linharelhos, M, Rijo, D, Asano, K, Vilas, SP, Márquez, MG, Gregório, S, 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 2023, 'Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 20, no. 3, 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031845

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

T2 - A Multinational Study

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 - Vilas, Sara P.

AU - Márquez, Margarita G.

AU - Gregório, Sónia

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: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/2

Y1 - 2023/2

N2 - During large-scale disasters, social support, caring behaviours, and compassion are shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes. This multi-national study aimed to assess the fluctuations in compassion over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (Time 1 n = 4156, Time 2 n = 980, Time 3 n = 825) from 23 countries completed online self-report questionnaires measuring the flows of compassion (i.e., Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales) and fears of compassion toward self and others and from others (i.e., Fears of Compassion Scales) and mental health at three time-points during a 10-month period. The results for the flows of compassion showed that self-compassion increased at Time 3. Compassion for others increased at Time 2 and 3 for the general population, but in contrast, it decreased in health professionals, possibly linked to burnout. Compassion from others did not change in Time 2, but it did increase significantly in Time 3. For fears of compassion, fears of self-compassion reduced over time, fears of compassion for others showed more variation, reducing for the general public but increasing for health professionals, whilst fears of compassion from others did not change over time. Health professionals, those with compassion training, older adults, and women showed greater flows of compassion and lower fears of compassion compared with the general population, those without compassion training, younger adults, and men. These findings highlight that, in a period of shared suffering, people from multiple countries and nationalities show a cumulative improvement in compassion and reduction in fears of compassion, suggesting that, when there is intense suffering, people become more compassionate to self and others and less afraid of, and resistant to, compassion.

AB - During large-scale disasters, social support, caring behaviours, and compassion are shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes. This multi-national study aimed to assess the fluctuations in compassion over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (Time 1 n = 4156, Time 2 n = 980, Time 3 n = 825) from 23 countries completed online self-report questionnaires measuring the flows of compassion (i.e., Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales) and fears of compassion toward self and others and from others (i.e., Fears of Compassion Scales) and mental health at three time-points during a 10-month period. The results for the flows of compassion showed that self-compassion increased at Time 3. Compassion for others increased at Time 2 and 3 for the general population, but in contrast, it decreased in health professionals, possibly linked to burnout. Compassion from others did not change in Time 2, but it did increase significantly in Time 3. For fears of compassion, fears of self-compassion reduced over time, fears of compassion for others showed more variation, reducing for the general public but increasing for health professionals, whilst fears of compassion from others did not change over time. Health professionals, those with compassion training, older adults, and women showed greater flows of compassion and lower fears of compassion compared with the general population, those without compassion training, younger adults, and men. These findings highlight that, in a period of shared suffering, people from multiple countries and nationalities show a cumulative improvement in compassion and reduction in fears of compassion, suggesting that, when there is intense suffering, people become more compassionate to self and others and less afraid of, and resistant to, compassion.

KW - compassion

KW - COVID-19

KW - fears of compassion

KW - longitudinal

KW - multilevel modelling

KW - multinational study

KW - pandemic

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85147903901

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20031845

DO - 10.3390/ijerph20031845

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85147903901

SN - 1661-7827

VL - 20

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 3

M1 - 1845

ER -

Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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