Over the last decade, empirical research on compassion has burgeoned in the biomedical, clinical, translational, and foundational sciences. Increasingly sophisticated understandings and measures of compassion continue to emerge from the abundance of multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary studies. Naturally, the diversity of research methods and theoretical frameworks employed presents a significant challenge to consensus and synthesis of this knowledge. To bring the empirical findings of separate and sometimes siloed disciplines into conversation with one another requires an examination of their disparate assumptions about what compassion is and how it can be known. Here, we present an integrated theoretical review of methodologies used in the empirical study of compassion. Our goal is to highlight the distinguishing features of each of these ways of knowing compassion, as well as the strengths and limitations of applying them to specific research questions. We hope this will provide useful tools for selecting methods that are tailored to explicit objectives (methods matching), taking advantage of methodological complementarity across disciplines (methods mixing), and incorporating the empirical study of compassion into fields in which it may be missing.
Across cultures and belief systems, compassion is widely considered to be beneficial for the development of personal and social wellbeing. Research indicates that compassion-training programs have broad health benefits, but how and why compassiontraining programs are effective is still relatively unknown. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of a specific compassion-training program, CBCT ® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training), and proposes an integrative model that draws on existing health behavior constructs to identify CBCT's core components and hypothesizes their directionality and interaction. The model includes two primary categories of skill development: (1) intrapersonal skills leading to greater resiliency, and (2) interpersonal skills leading to greater compassion. It is hypothesized that these two pathways are mutually reinforcing and both contribute to greater wellbeing. This model provides a foundation for theory-driven research on the underlying mechanisms in CBCT training. An understanding of CBCT's mechanisms is a critical step towards optimizing and personalizing the intervention to meet the needs of specific populations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color and highlighted longstanding racial health inequities. Communities of color also report higher rates of medical mistrust driven by histories of medical mistreatment and continued experiences of discrimination and systemic racism. Medical mistrust may exacerbate COVID-19 disparities. This study utilizes the Behavior Model for Vulnerable Populations to investigate predictors of medical mistrust during the COVID-19 pandemic among urban youth of color. Minority youth (N = 105) were recruited from community organizations in Kansas City, Missouri to complete an online survey between May and June 2020. Multiple linear regressions were performed to estimate the effect of personal characteristics, family and community resources, and COVID-19 need-based factors on medical mistrust. Results indicated that loneliness, financial insecurity (e.g., job loss, loss of income) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and eligibility for free or reduced lunch predicted medical mistrust. Insurance status, neighborhood median household income, social support, and perceived COVID-19 risk were not significantly associated with medical mistrust. Future research and policies are necessary to address systemic factors that perpetuate medical mistrust among youth of color.
PURPOSE: Oncology clinical research coordinators (CRCs) and team-based coordinator care are critical for the success of clinical trials. However, CRCs typically report elevated anxiety and burnout and many oncology centers have high levels of coordinator attrition. To address the need for a team-based intervention to reduce burnout and promote resilience and cohesion among CRCs, we developed a compassion-centered, team-based intervention, Compassion-Centered Spiritual Health Team Intervention (CCSH-TI). METHODS: Participants were CRCs working in disease-specific teams within a comprehensive cancer center. CRCs were randomly assigned by team to either participate in four 60-minute sessions of CCSH-TI or receive the intervention after the study. To evaluate whether CCSH-TI is feasible and acceptable, we used a mixed-method approach including self-report questionnaires and a focus group. To evaluate the impact of CCSH-TI, we assessed self-reported resilience, well-being, burnout, and team civility before and immediately after the intervention period (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04060901 ). RESULTS: Attendance varied by team, but all teams had rates more than 60%. Coordinators rated high levels of credibility of CCSH-TI to improve burnout, and the majority reported that they received benefits, particularly in resilience and stress management, indicating acceptability. Coordinators randomly assigned to CCSH-TI reported an increase in resilience compared with coordinators randomly assigned to the wait-list group (F(41) = 4.53, P = .039). CONCLUSION: Data from this pilot study indicate that CCSH-TI may be a feasible, credible, acceptable, and effective intervention to augment individual resilience among CRCs. However, the quantitative and qualitative data suggest that more comprehensive and systematic programming is necessary to truly mitigate burnout.
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