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

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.

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

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. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2.

Adaptation and validation of the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS) in Spanish university health sciences students.

Many interprofessional education programs are being designed to help students improve their collaborative practice. Traditionally, the evaluation of these programs is focused on attitudes, knowledge and skills, but according to some authors, the evaluation of these activities should be expanded to include the evaluation of the development of an interprofessional identity. The Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS) is a self-report tool used to measure interprofessional socialization, but it has not been validated with Spanish students. In this study, the tool was translated into Spanish and administered to a sample of 645 undergraduate students. The data were analyzed to estimate structural validity, internal consistency and convergent validity. Regarding the structural validity, our data supported the unidimensional model found in the English version of the ISVS-21 (normed chi-square = 2.3, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR = 0.087, CFI = 0.963 and TLI = 0.969). The internal consistency reliability of the scale was adequate, Cronbach α = 0.913 [95% CI 0.903, 0.923]. The Spanish version of the ISVS-21 shows adequate psychometric properties in terms of the construct validity (structural validity and convergent validity) and internal consistency of its scores. This study provides the Spanish-speaking population with an adaptation of the only instrument that has been specifically developed to assess interprofessional socialization.

The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related post-traumatic growth and stress.

BACKGROUND: Historically social connection has been an important way through which humans have coped with large-scale threatening events. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns have deprived people of major sources of social support and coping, with others representing threats. Hence, a major stressor during the pandemic has been a sense of social disconnection and loneliness. This study explores how people's experience of compassion and feeling socially safe and connected, in contrast to feeling socially disconnected, lonely and fearful of compassion, effects the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress. METHODS: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) across 21 countries worldwide, completed self-report measures of social connection (compassion for self, from others, for others; social safeness), social disconnection (fears of compassion for self, from others, for others; loneliness), perceived threat of COVID-19, post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress. RESULTS: Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress. Social connection (compassion and social safeness) predicted higher post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress, whereas social disconnection (fears of compassion and loneliness) predicted increased traumatic symptoms only. Social connection heightened the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on post-traumatic growth, while social disconnection weakened this impact. Social disconnection magnified the impact of the perceived threat of COVID-19 on traumatic stress. These effects were consistent across all countries. CONCLUSIONS: Social connection is key to how people adapt and cope with the worldwide COVID-19 crisis and may facilitate post-traumatic growth in the context of the threat experienced during the pandemic. In contrast, social disconnection increases vulnerability to develop post-traumatic stress in this threatening context. Public health and Government organizations could implement interventions to foster compassion and feelings of social safeness and reduce experiences of social disconnection, thus promoting growth, resilience and mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.

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

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.

Impacto de los recursos digitales en el aprendizaje y desarrollo de la competencia Análisis y Síntesis / The impact of digital resources in the learning and the development of the competence Analysis and Synthesis

INTRODUCCIÓN: En los últimos años se ha detectado la necesidad de que la universidad forme a personas en competencias clave que faciliten su adaptación ante los rápidos cambios de la «sociedad de conocimiento» y permitan el aprendizaje y autodesarrollo a lo largo de toda la vida. En este estudio hemos utilizado recursos digitales interactivos con el objetivo de incrementar la competencia Análisis y Síntesis en estudiantes universitarios de primer curso del Grado de Enfermería. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Este estudio sigue un diseño cuasiexperimental. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 86 estudiantes de primer curso del Grado en Enfermería de la Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM), distribuidos en grupo experimental y grupo control. El entrenamiento en la competencia se realizó mediante ejercicios interactivos online que proporcionan feedback inmediato. El nivel de desarrollo de la competencia se valoró al iniciar y al finalizar el programa mediante la realización individual de un mapa conceptual. RESULTADOS: Los resultados de la valoración de la capacidad de Análisis y Síntesis mostraron un incremento significativo para el grupo experimental. Mediante una encuesta de satisfacción validada por la unidad de calidad de la UEM, encontramos una mayor satisfacción con el aprendizaje y materiales docentes empleados en el grupo experimental. CONCLUSIONES: El empleo de ejercicios interactivos online que dan feedback inmediato mejora la competencia Análisis y Síntesis. Su utilización en la asignatura de Anatomía Humana es valorada muy positivamente por los estudiantes

INTRODUCTION: A need has been detected in universities in the past few years to train people with key or transversal skills that enhance them to adapt to the rapid changes of the 'knowledge society', and help in their learning and self-development throughout life. Interactive digital resources have been used in this study, with the aim of increasing the Analysis and Synthesis assignment in 1st-year university nursing students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study uses a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 86 1st-year students of Nursing at the European University of Madrid (UEM), divided into an experimental and control group. Their competence training was carried using interactive online exercises consisting of crosswords, videos, and association exercises. The level of competence development was assessed at the beginning and at the end of the program, using the individual preparation of a conceptual map. RESULTS: The results of the assessment of the Analysis and Synthesis competence showed a significant increase in the experimental group. Using a satisfaction survey validated by the UEM quality unit, greater satisfaction was found with the learning and teaching materials used in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of interactive online exercises that give immediate feedback improves the Analysis and Synthesis competence. Its use in the subject of Human Anatomy was very positively evaluated by the students

An exploratory sequential design to validate measures of moral emotions / Un diseño secuencial exploratorio para validar medidas de emociones morales

BACKGROUND: This paper presents an exploratory and sequential mixed methods approach in validating measures of knowledge of the moral emotions of contempt, anger and disgust. METHOD: The sample comprised 60 participants in the qualitative phase when a measurement instrument was designed. Item stems, response options and correction keys were planned following the results obtained in a descriptive phenomenological analysis of the interviews. In the quantitative phase, the scale was used with a sample of 102 Spanish participants, and the results were analysed with the Rasch model. RESULTS: In the qualitative phase, salient themes included reasons, objects and action tendencies. In the quantitative phase, good psychometric properties were obtained. The model fit was adequate. However, some changes had to be made to the scale in order to improve the proportion of variance explained. CONCLUSIONS: Substantive and methodological implications of this mixed-methods study are discussed. Had the study used a single research method in isolation, aspects of the global understanding of contempt, anger and disgust would have been lost

ANTECEDENTES: esta investigación presenta una investigación mixta exploratoria y secuencial para validar medidas de conocimiento de las emociones morales de desprecio, rabia y asco. MÉTODO: la muestra se compuso de 60 participantes en la fase cualitativa, en la que se diseñó un instrumento de medida. Los ítems, las opciones de respuesta y las claves de corrección se diseñaron considerando los resultados obtenidos en el análisis fenomenológico descriptivo de las entrevistas. En la fase cuantitativa, la escala se aplicó a una muestra de 102 participantes españoles y los resultados se analizaron con el modelo de Rasch. RESULTADOS: en la fase cualitativa, los temas más notables incluyeron las razones, los objetos y las tendencias de acción asociadas a las emociones. En la fase cuantitativa se obtuvieron propiedades psicométricas satisfactorias. El ajuste al modelo fue adecuado. No obstante, se tuvieron que realizar cambios en la escala con la finalidad de mejorar la proporción de varianza explicada. CONCLUSIONES: se discuten las implicaciones sustantivas y metodológicas de esta investigación. Si en este estudio se hubiera empleado un único método de investigación se habría perdido información referida al entendimiento global de las emociones de desprecio, rabia y asco

An exploratory sequential design to validate measures of moral emotions.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents an exploratory and sequential mixed methods approach in validating measures of knowledge of the moral emotions of contempt, anger and disgust. METHOD: The sample comprised 60 participants in the qualitative phase when a measurement instrument was designed. Item stems, response options and correction keys were planned following the results obtained in a descriptive phenomenological analysis of the interviews. In the quantitative phase, the scale was used with a sample of 102 Spanish participants, and the results were analysed with the Rasch model. RESULTS: In the qualitative phase, salient themes included reasons, objects and action tendencies. In the quantitative phase, good psychometric properties were obtained. The model fit was adequate. However, some changes had to be made to the scale in order to improve the proportion of variance explained. CONCLUSIONS: Substantive and methodological im-plications of this mixed-methods study are discussed. Had the study used a single re-search method in isolation, aspects of the global understanding of contempt, anger and disgust would have been lost.

Intracategorial Varieties of Contempt in a Heterogeneous Sample / Variedades intracategoriales del desprecio en una muestra heterogénea

Consistent with current emotion theory, we should note that contempt is not a homogeneous category but rather shows intracategorial variability. Previous research on Spanish samples shows a communicative structure in which contempt is felt towards intimate, social or abstract receivers, for reciprocal, altruistic or prejudiced reasons. Our objective was to test, on a large and heterogeneous sample, the previously found structure and variations of the experience of contempt as well as its spontaneous facial expression. Testing the association of contempt varieties with certain subject attributes was a secondary goal. Results from 130 participants from the Spanish general population corroborated the previously found structure and varieties, as well as the associations between contempt receiver and attribution. No relation was found with sex, age or emotion recognition ability. As to spontaneous facial expression, disgust was more often expressed by those who narrated their personal episodes of contempt for reciprocal reasons, and was less often expressed by the people who described prejudiced scenarios. This result indicates that the conventionally considered facial expression of contempt is not the only one, as already stated by Darwin, and should not be considered as such by experimental and psychometric procedures.

De forma consistente con las teorías actuales de la emoción, el desprecio no es una categoría homogénea, sino que presenta variedad intracategorial. La investigación previa en muestras españolas muestra una estructura comunicativa en la que el desprecio se experimenta hacia receptores íntimos, sociales o abstractos por razones recíprocas, altruistas o prejuiciosas. Nuestro objetivo fue poner a prueba, en una muestra grande y heterogénea, la estructura previamente encontrada para la experiencia de desprecio, así como sus variedades y expresión facial espontánea. Un objetivo secundario fue la puesta a prueba de la asociación de las variedades del desprecio con atributos de sujeto. Los resultados de 130 entrevistas procedentes de población general española corroboraron la estructura y variedades previamente halladas, así como la asociación entre el receptor del desprecio y la atribución causal. La relación con el sexo, la edad y la aptitud de reconocimiento emocional no resultó significativa. Con respecto a la expresión facial, la de asco apareció con mayor frecuencia en quienes narraron episodios de desprecio por razones de reciprocidad y con menor frecuencia en quienes describieron escenarios prejuiciosos. Este resultado indica que la expresión convencionalmente considerada como de desprecio no es la única, como ya estableció Darwin, por lo que no debería considerarse como tal en los procedimientos experimentales y psicométricos.

Revisión de las medidas de reconocimiento y expresión de emociones / A review of emotion recognition and expression measures

El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática fue analizar las características psicométricas de los instrumentos de medida del reconocimiento y la expresión de emociones. El trabajo se realizó en dos fases. Las categorías empleadas en la primera fase, deductiva, fueron las palabras clave que llevaron a la selección de 721 resúmenes de artículos procedentes de las bases de datos de Scopus y PsycInfo. El proceso selectivo de la segunda fase fue inductivo, utilizando categorías construidas a partir del análisis de los resúmenes de la primera fase. Los instrumentos contenidos en los 36 artículos de investigación seleccionados en esta segunda fase se codificaron en función de la muestra, el tipo de evaluación y el análisis psicométrico efectuado en cada caso. Los resultados muestran que la mayor parte de las medidas derivan de un solo test y que no se encuentran instrumentos construidos a partir de métodos modernos como el Modelo de Rasch. Los avances de la Neuropsicología afectiva no se han acompañado del desarrollo de instrumentos estandarizados de evaluación y medida que permitan cuantificar adecuadamente las diferencias individuales (AU)

A systematic review was carried out with the objective of learning the Psychometric properties of measures of emotion recognition and expression. They were selected in two steps: first, a deductive one in which 721 abstracts from Scopus and PsycInfo were analyzed; and second, the inductive one, by using the ad hoc categories from the previous analysis. The instruments from the 36 selected papers were coded by sample, assessment type, and psychometric analyses. Results show that most of the measures come from just one test and that modern test models such as Rasch-based ones are never found. It is concluded that Affective Neuropsychology advances have not been accompanied by the construction of standardized measurement instruments to properly quantify individual differences (AU)