Dataset Information

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

ABSTRACT:

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.

SUBMITTER: Matos M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8251194 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

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

Matos Marcela M McEwan Kirsten K Kanovský Martin M Halamová Júlia J Steindl Stanley R SR Ferreira Nuno N Linharelhos Mariana M Rijo Daniel D Asano Kenichi K Gregório Sónia S Márquez Margarita G MG Vilas Sara P SP Brito-Pons Gonzalo G Lucena-Santos Paola P da Silva Oliveira Margareth M de Souza Erika Leonardo EL Llobenes Lorena L Gumiy Natali N Costa Maria Ileana MI Habib Noor N Hakem Reham R Khrad Hussain H Alzahrani Ahmad A Cheli Simone S Petrocchi Nicola N Tholouli Elli E Issari Philia P Simos Gregoris G Lunding-Gregersen Vibeke V Elklit Ask A Kolts Russell R Kelly Allison C AC Bortolon Catherine C Delamillieure Pascal P Paucsik Marine M Wahl Julia E JE Zieba Mariusz M Zatorski Mateusz M Komendziński Tomasz T Zhang Shuge S Basran Jaskaran J Kagialis Antonios A Kirby James J Gilbert Paul P

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy 20210515 6

<h4>Background</h4>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 o ...[more]

PMID: 33880832

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Project description:There is general agreement that styles of leadership evolved from mammalian group living strategies that form social ranks. In both non-human primates and humans, different styles of hierarchical dominant-subordinate and leader-follower behavior can be observed. These can be described in terms of dimensions of antisocial (relatively self-focused, aggressive and threat-based) and prosocial (relatively empathic, caring, and supportive) interpersonal styles. The aim of this study was to explore how a set of established self-report questionnaires might relate to these two dimensions. Two hundred and nineteen students completed questionnaires assessing ruthless self-advancement, coalition building, and dominant leadership styles, as well as hypercompetitiveness, narcissism, striving to avoid inferiority, compassion focused and ego focused goals, fears of compassion, social safeness and attachment (in)security. A principal component analysis supported an antisocial leadership style factor which comprised of ruthless self-advancement, narcissism and hypercompetitiveness. This was significantly correlated with fears of compassion, ego focused goals, insecure striving (striving to avoid inferiority), fears of losing out, fears of being overlooked, fears of being rejected, and avoidant relating in close relationships. It was significantly negatively correlated with compassionate goals. As the results did not reveal a clear factor solution for a prosocial leadership style, we chose to use the coalition building leadership style variable. This showed the opposite pattern, being significantly negatively correlated with narcissism, hypercompetitiveness, fears of compassion, fears of active rejection, and avoidance in close relationships. It was significantly positively correlated with secure striving, compassionate goals, and social safeness. We also found that fears of compassion for others was a partial mediator of the relationship between insecure striving with antisocial leadership style. Moreover, lower fears of compassion for the self emerged as a key mediator for the relationship between non-avoidant attachment with coalition building leadership style and, secure non-striving with coalition building leadership style. While the motive to accumulate social power, resources and dominance may be linked to antisocial forms of leadership, the intensity of the drive may also be linked to unaddressed threats and fears of rejection and fears of compassion. Efforts to promote more ethical, moral and prosocial forms of leadership may falter if such fears are left unaddressed.

Dataset Information

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

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

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

Similar Datasets

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