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.

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.

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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.

ResumoTrata-se de estudo transversal que objetivou avaliar: consumo de crack (entrevista semi-estruturada), funcionamento adaptativo (relativo às amizades, trabalho e família), psicopatológico (Adult Self--Report) e funções cognitivas (Screening Cognitivo do WAIS-III) de usuários de crack internados. Dos 84 participantes (90,5% homens), 53,6% fez uso diário de crack no último ano, com consumo médio usual de 1,54 gramas (DP=0,53; Mín.=0,5; Máx.=2,5). Houve grande prevalência de classificação na faixa clínica nos problemas internalizantes (77,4%), externalizantes (77,4%), funcionamento adaptativo (variando de 84,6 a 97,6%) e de comportamentos transgressores (70,3% comportamentos de quebra de regras e 59,6% comportamentos anti-sociais). As funções cognitivas encontraram-se preservadas (médio inferior/médio/médio superior) na grande maioria (>75%) dos entrevistados, com pior desempenho no subteste Vocabulário (22,6% classifi cação inferior). Palavras-chave: cocaína crack, usuários de drogas, psicopatologia, adaptação psicológica, testes de inteligência. AbstractThe aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the use of crack cocaine (semi-structured interview), adaptive functioning (concerning friends, work, and family), psychopathological functioning (Adult Self-Report) and cognitive functions (WAIS-III) among hospitalized crack cocaine users. From the 84 respondents (90.5% male), 53.6% used crack cocaine on a daily basis in the previous year, with an usual average consumption of 1.54 grams (SD=.53; Min.=.5; Max.=2.5). There was a large prevalence of internalizing (77.4%) and externalizing (77.4%) problems, adaptive functioning (84.6 to 97.6%) and wrongful behavior (70.3% of rule-breaking behavior and 59.6% of antisocial behavior). Cognitive functions were preserved (low average/average/high average) in most respondents (>75%), with worse performance on the Vocabulary subtest (22.6% in the low average range).

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of BI-AAQ (Body-Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire) and the body image psychological flexibility role as a mediator in a pervasive path towards binge eating in Brazilian samples. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in clinical (overweight or obese women currently in treatment for weight loss; n= 330) and non-clinical (general population; n= 682) groups of women. Results: BI-AAQ has one-factor structure, excellent internal consistency, ability to detect differences between groups and measurement invariance across samples. It was also negatively associated with self-compassion and positively associated with binge eating severity, drive for thinness and self-criticism. Conclusions: This study provides data confirming the robust psychometric properties of BI-AAQ in qualitatively different samples. Furthermore, an additional study conducted in a clinical sample of women with overweight or obesity revealed that body image psychological inflexibility has emerged as a partial and significant mediator of the effect of self-criticism and drive for thinness on binge eating severity.

Sintomas de ansiedade e depressão em mulheres com e sem compulsão alimentar participantes de programas de redução de pesoAnxiety and depression symptoms in women with and without binge eating disorder enrolled in weight loss programs Abstract Objectives: 1) To investigate the association between binge eating scores, anxiety and depression symptoms, and body mass index (BMI), and 2) to assess the presence of differences in severity of anxiety symptoms, severity of depression symptoms, and BMI in women with and without binge eating disorder. Method:The sample comprised 113 women aged between 22 and 60 years (39.35±10.85) enrolled in weight loss programs in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The following instruments were used: structured interview, Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Binge Eating Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A positive association was found between binge eating scores and the severity of anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001) and depression symptoms (p < 0.001). No significant association was observed between BMI and binge eating scores (p = 0.341). There were significant differences between women with and without binge eating disorder with regard to severity of anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001) and severity of depression symptoms (p < 0.001). Conversely, no significant differences were observed between the groups concerning BMI (p = 0.103). Conclusion: Our findings showed that binge eating is associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, but not with BMI. Keywords: Anxiety, depression, feeding behavior, compulsive behavior. Resultados: Houve associação positiva entre os escores de compulsão alimentar e a intensidade dos sintomas de ansiedade (p < 0,001) e de depressão (p < 0,001). Não foi observada associação significativa (p = 0,341) entre IMC e escores de compulsão alimentar. Houve diferença significativa entre mulheres com e sem co mpulsão alimentar com relação à intensidade dos sintomas de ansiedade (p < 0,001) e depressão (p < 0,001). Não foi encontrada diferença significativa entre os grupos com relação ao IMC (p = 0,103). Conclusão: Os achados deste estudo mostraram que a compulsão alimentar está associada a sintomas de ansiedade e de depressão, porém não está associada ao IMC.

Objectives Although the Ruminative Responses Scale is one of the most widely used measures of rumination, its two‐factor structure remains controversial. Taking this into account, we aimed to test the RRS‐10 two‐factor invariance (Brazilian version) between different samples of women and to study its internal consistency and convergent validity. Methods A sample of 321 women (general population, n = 106; college students, n = 115; and medical population of patients with overweight and obesity, n = 100) participated in the study. The two‐factor structure of RRS‐10 was assessed by CFA and multigroup analysis using Mplus software. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and the convergent validity by Pearson correlations. Results The two‐factor structure of RRS‐10 showed a good fit, factorial invariance across three samples, good internal consistency, and adequate convergent validity. Brooding and Reflection subscales were both positively correlated with psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, although Brooding presented significantly stronger associations with these variables than Reflection. Conclusions This study provides further discussion and evidence regarding the RRS‐10 two‐factor structure, as well as a valid version of RRS‐10 to use in Brazil in order to reliably assess rumination in medical and research settings. Practitioner points This is the first study to test and confirm the RRS two‐factor structure invariance across groups. RRS‐10 two‐dimensionality was confirmed in medical and non‐medical samples of women. Brooding subscale showed significantly stronger relationships with psychopathology and experiential avoidance than Reflection. The study provides evidence that RRS can be used as a valid and sound measure to accurately assess the clinically relevant dimensions of rumination simultaneously across distinct groups.