The Benefits of Self-Compassion in Mental Health Professionals: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research

Abstract

The importance of cultivating self-compassion is an often neglected issue among mental health professionals despite the risks to occupational well-being present in psychological care, such as burnout or compassion fatigue. In this context, this literature review has a twofold aim. Firstly, to contribute to raising awareness of the benefits of self-compassion among professionals, based on empirical research findings. Secondly, to coherently organize the available evidence on this topic, which to date appears scattered in a variety of articles. A systematic search on the APA PsycInfo database was conducted, and 24 empirical studies focused on the topic of the benefits of self-compassion in mental health professionals were finally selected. Concerning their methods, only 4 of the selected studies used experimental or quasi-experimental designs, 14 were cross-sectional studies, 3 presented qualitative research, and 3 were literature reviews. The research, regardless of methods used, points mainly to the benefits of self-compassion on the therapists’ mental health and well-being; prevention of occupational stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatization as well as improvement of therapeutic competencies and professional efficacy-related aspects. In the review, self-compassion appeared as a process that could explain the benefits (eg on burnout) of cultivating other skills (eg mindfulness). To further explore this point, an additional review included 17 studies focused on the effects of mindfulness or compassion-based interventions on therapists’ self-compassion. In conclusion, our work joins those who have recommended the inclusion of self-compassion trainings in the curricula of mental health professionals.

The Role of the Media and Self-Compassion in Enhancing Mental Health and Preventing Suicide among Nigerian Youth: A Literature Review

“…There is sufficient evidence that suggests self-compassion interventions to be effective for several mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression [85,[109][110][111][112], post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [113,114], and suicidal ideation [115]. To date, no review specifically focusing on the role of the media and self-compassion in enhancing mental health and suicide prevention among Nigerian youth has been conducted.…”

The role of mindfulness skill and inclusive leadership in job performance among secondary teachers in Hong Kong

“…Hong Kong Annual Reports (2021–2022) indicated that the absence of face-to-face interaction and limited opportunities for real-time feedback led to decreased student engagement, ultimately affecting teaching performance. Research illustrates that individuals high in self-compassion report greater emotional wellbeing that may improve the job performance because it protects individuals from social stressors through engaging in self-kindness and learning to accept that having imperfections is part of human nature (Crego et al , 2022). In this context, research on malleable factors that can improve teacher job performance is desirable.…”

Interventions for Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Providers—A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials

“…Current evidence includes only a few systematic reviews in the field of compassion fatigue [46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. These reviews have significant heterogeneity in the participant (e.g., physicians, nurses, radiographers), faculty (e.g., oncology, emergency department), and location (e.g., rural, low-middle income nations) characteristics, and the evaluated aspects of compassion fatigue (e.g., prevalence, risk factors, interventions).…”