Close to me but unreachable: spotting the link between peripersonal space and empathy.

The space surrounding the body [i.e. peripersonal space (PPS)] has a crucial impact on individuals' interactions with the environment. Research showed that the interaction within the PPS increases individuals' behavioral and neural responses. Furthermore, individuals' empathy is affected by the distance between them and the observed stimuli. This study investigated empathic responses to painfully stimulated or gently touched faces presented within the PPS depending on the presence vs absence of a transparent barrier erected to prevent the interaction. To this aim, participants had to determine whether faces were painfully stimulated or gently touched, while their electroencephalographic signals were recorded. Brain activity [i.e. event-related potentials (ERPs) and source activations] was separately compared for the two types of stimuli (i.e. gently touched vs painfully stimulated faces) across two barrier conditions: (i) no-barrier between participants and the screen (i.e. no-barrier) and (ii) a plexiglass barrier erected between participants and the screen (i.e. barrier). While the barrier did not affect performance behaviorally, it reduced cortical activation at both the ERP and source activation levels in brain areas that regulate the interpersonal interaction (i.e. primary, somatosensory, premotor cortices and inferior frontal gyrus). These findings suggest that the barrier, precluding the possibility of interacting, reduced the observer's empathy.

Compassion Fatigue Education: What Is Available Online for Nurses? A Consumer Website Review.

BACKGROUND: Nurses have been identified as the most vulnerable health care profession to experience compassion fatigue. Currently, not much is known about the availability and credibility of online compassion fatigue resources for nurses. This systematic review of consumer websites explores the prevalence and quality of compassion fatigue educational resources available online to nurses. METHOD: A descriptive, cross-sectional, nonexperimental design was used. Findings were collected from the websites of the top 20 hospitals in the United States, all professional nursing organizations in the United States, and the top three most used social media platforms. Web-sites were evaluated for quality using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks and Health on the Net Foundation certification. RESULTS: A total of 143 websites were evaluated. Of these, three websites were identified as having the most credible, comprehensive educational resources on compassion fatigue. CONCLUSION: There is a need for more hospitals, professional nursing organizations, and social media websites to provide high-quality compassion fatigue educational resources for nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(5):216-224.].

Our Patients Need Empathy Training across Healthcare Professions.

Vulnerable populations are those who experience disparity at a disproportionate rate. For this article, specific vulnerable populations of interest include people who experience intellectual or developmental disorders, mental illness, or substance misuse. Vulnerable populations are some of the most stigmatized populations in our society. Research shows that vulnerable populations receive less empathic care than general health care populations, resulting in reduced quality of care and disparities in health outcomes. Empathy, a necessary health care competency, is associated with improved patient outcomes, enhanced job satisfaction, and increased retention and resilience across health care professions. However, there is no current standard for how empathy is taught, assessed, or sustained. Even when empathy education is implemented in healthcare professions curricula, research has demonstrated that it appears to erode with experience and time. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities in health care systems, with consequences for both patients and providers. There is an urgent need to develop efficacious training in empathy across health care professions to foster and sustain a robust workforce and improve health care experiences and outcomes.

Empathising with masked targets: limited side effects of face masks on empathy for dynamic, context-rich stimuli.

Multiple studies revealed detrimental effects of face masks on communication, including reduced empathic accuracy and enhanced listening effort. Yet, extant research relied on artificial, decontextualised stimuli, which prevented assessing empathy under more ecologically valid conditions. In this preregistered online experiment (N = 272), we used film clips featuring targets reporting autobiographical events to address motivational mechanisms underlying face mask effects on cognitive (empathic accuracy) and emotional facets (emotional congruence, sympathy) of empathy. Surprisingly, targets whose faces were covered by a mask (or a black bar) elicited the same level of empathy motives (affiliation, cognitive effort), and accordingly, the same level of cognitive and emotional empathy compared to targets with uncovered faces. We only found a negative direct effect of face coverings on sympathy. Additional analyses revealed that older (compared to young) adults showed higher empathy, but age did not moderate face mask effects. Our findings speak against strong negative face mask effects on empathy when using dynamic, context-rich stimuli, yet support motivational mechanisms of empathy.

Body present... in teaching and health care / Corpo presente... na formação e no cuidado em saúde / Cuerpo presente... en el enseñanza y en cuidado de la salud

A pandemia da COVID-19 nos incitou a produzir uma reflexão a respeito dos conteúdos e modos de sugerir e orientar para a atividade física, haja vista ela não prevenir a infecção e, em ambientes fechados, favorecer a contaminação do vírus. De outra perspectiva, os corpos "das ruas" não se satisfazem com as instruções e respostas dos manuais e guias de atividade física. Nesse sentido, os profissionais de saúde precisam abrir os olhos, os corações e as mentes para a construção de movimentos de composição com as cidades e as lutas em defesa de todas as vidas e não se soltar ou se perder dos estudantes, potenciais cuidadores no futuro próximo. O que propomos para este ensaio é fazer pensar sobre o que nos passa enquanto docente e profissionais-pesquisadoras preocupadas e envolvidas com os processos de formação, especialmente no campo da saúde, a partir de ponderações teórico-conceituais sobre nossas experiências (AU).

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted us to produce thought upon the content and modes of suggesting and directing physical activity, as it does not prevent infection, and, indoors, promotes contamination from the virus. From another perspective, the bodies of the "streets" are not satisfied with the instructions and answers of the manuals and physical activity guides. In this sense, health professionals need to open their eyes, hearts and minds to build compositional movements with the cities and struggles in defense of everybody's lives, holding onto and not getting lost from students, the potential carers in the near future. What we propose for this essay is to make us think about what happens to us as a professor and professionals-researches concerned and involved with the education processes, specially in the field of health, based on theoretical and conceptual considerations about our experiences (AU).

La pandemia COVID-19 nos incitó a reflexionar sobre los contenidos y formas de sugerir y orientar las actividades física, em vista de no prevenir la infección y, en ambientes cerrados, favorecer la contaminación por virus. Desde otra perspectiva, los cuerpos "de las calles" no están satisfechos con las instrucciones y respuestas de los manuales y guías de actividad física. En este sentido, los profesionales de la salud necesitan abrir los ojos, el corazón y la mente para construir movimientos de composición con ciudades y luchas en defensa de todas las vidas y no soltarse o perderse de los estudiantes, potenciales cuidadores en el futuro próximo.Lo que proponemos para este ensayo es hacernos reflexionar sobre lo que nos sucede como profesores-investigadores interesados e involucrados en los procesos de formación, especialmente en el campo de la salud, a partir de consideraciones teórico-conceptuales sobre nuestras experiencias (AU).

Experiences of burnout, anxiety, and empathy among health profession students in Qatar University during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of burnout and anxiety is constantly increasing among health profession students worldwide. This study evaluates the prevalence of burnout and its relationship to anxiety and empathy during the COVID-19 pandemic among health profession students in the main governmental institution in Doha, Qatar using validated instruments. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of health profession students using validated instruments was employed. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Students Survey (MBI-GS(S)) to measure burnout; The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) to measure anxiety; and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure empathy were utilized. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression were used. RESULTS: Of the 1268 eligible students, 272 (21.5%) completed the online survey. Burnout was found to be prevalent amongst the students. The mean scores for the MBI-GS(S) subscales of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy were 4.07, 2.63, and 3.97, respectively. Anxiety was found to be a strong predictor for burnout and burnout was positively associated with empathy. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study demonstrated relationships between health profession students' burnout, anxiety, and empathy. These findings might have an impact on the development of curriculum interventions to enhance student well-being. More burnout awareness and management programs that cater to the specific needs of health profession students are needed. Furthermore, findings of this study may have implications for future educational interventions during times of crisis or how this can be used to improve student experiences in normal times.

Building resilient heart center teams.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to move beyond measures to improve individual resilience but to focus on measures to achieve better team resilience. RECENT FINDINGS: The COVID pandemic, shortages of heath care workers, and subsequent viral resurgence in 2022 placed tremendous stress on pediatric healthcare systems. Much has been written about individual wellness, mindfulness, and strategies to be a more resilient individual. However, little has been written on the importance of team resilience. Resilient teams work together to overcome daily stressors and challenges. Although leaders must create and foster a collaborative culture to establish cohesive and resilient teams; it also requires tremendous institutional support. Four key factors have emerged with regards to successful team resilience: candor, humility, resourcefulness, and compassion and empathy. This article discusses the key elements required for resilient teams to not only survive but also to thrive. SUMMARY: Effective heart centers, like the symphony, are a collection of individuals all coming together to care for a child or create a singular piece of music. Heart centers without effective leaders will most certainly fail, but even with the most accomplished and passionate leaders, there must be administrative institutional support and a shared vision.

The sense of coherence among university students: A resource for care in times of pandemic / Sentido de coherencia en universitarios: recurso para el cuidado en tiempos de pandemia / Senso de coerência nos estudantes universitários: um recurso para o cuidado em tempos de pandemias

Introducción: El constructo Sentido de Coherencia derivado del modelo salutogénico, permite afrontar factores estresantes a través de activos para mantener una buena salud. Objetivo: Describir el Sentido de Coherencia (SOC-29) en estudiantes universitarios de la ciudad de Manizales como recurso de cuidado en tiempos de pandemia. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo con una fase asociativa y comparativa, con 566 estudiantes matriculados en universidades públicas y privadas de la ciudad de Manizales, Caldas (Colombia), durante el primer período académico del 2021. La técnica de recolección fue la encuesta online. Para el análisis univariado se realizó distribución de frecuencias, medidas de tendencia central y dispersión, y para el bivariado U de Mann Whitney, H de Kruskal-Wallis y Chi-cuadrado. Resultados: El valor del Sentido de Coherencia osciló entre 58 y 185 puntos, promedio 133.6 ± 24,4 puntos, un 27% de los participantes informó la pandemia afectó negativamente su vida, se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa p<0,05 entre el cambio en las condiciones de vida y todos los ítems de la escala. Conclusión: La consolidación del Sentido de Coherencia como parte integral de la salud mental de los universitarios los prepara para afrontar cambios en sus condiciones de vida y hace factible direccionar acciones de cuidado en el contexto social, familiar y académico.

Introduction:The construct of the sense of coherence, derived from the salutogenic model, allows people to cope with stressors through resources to maintain good health. Objective: To describe the sense of coherence (SOC-29) among university students in the city of Manizales as a care resource in times of pandemic. Materials and Methods: A quantitative and descriptive study with an associative-comparative phase was conducted with 566 students enrolled in public and private universities in Manizales, Caldas, (Colombia), during the first semester of 2021. The data collection technique was online surveys. For the univariate analysis, frequency distribution and central tendency and dispersion measures were determined. For bivariate analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Chi-square test were used. Results:The SOC-29 score ranged from 58 to 185 points (mean 133.6 ± 24.4 points), and 27% of the participants reported that the pandemic negatively affected their life, a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was found between the change in living conditions and all the items of the scale. Conclusions: Consolidating the sense of coherence as an integral part of university students' mental health prepares them to cope with changes in their living conditions and makes it feasible to direct care actions in social, family, and academic settings.

Introdução: A construção Sentido de Coerência derivada do modelo salutogênico, permite lidar com os estressores através de ativos para manter a boa saúde. Objetivo: Descrever o Sentido de Coerência (SOC-29) em estudantes universitários da cidade de Manizales, Caldas (Colômbia), como um recurso para o cuidado em tempos de pandemia. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo quantitativo, descritivo com uma fase associativa e comparativa com 566 estudantes matriculados em universidades públicas e privadas na cidade de Manizales, Caldas (Colômbia), durante o primeiro período acadêmico de 2021. A técnica de coleta foi a pesquisa on-line. Para a análise univariada, foram utilizadas a distribuição de frequência, medidas de tendência central e dispersão, e para a análise bivariada foram utilizadas Mann Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H e Chi-quadrado. Resultados: O valor de senso de coerência variou de 58 a 185 pontos, média 133,6 ± 24,4 pontos, 27% dos participantes relataram que a pandemia afetou negativamente suas vidas, associação estatisticamente significativa p<0,05 foi encontrada entre mudança nas condições de vida e todos os itens da escala. Conclusões: A consolidação do Senso de Coerência como parte integrante da saúde mental dos estudantes universitários os prepara para enfrentar mudanças em suas condições de vida e torna viável a abordagem de ações de cuidado no contexto social, familiar e acadêmico.

The Still, Small Voice of Grief.

When caring for a grieving patient, professional chaplains may assess the patient's spiritual suffering, address questions of meaning and purpose, and identify sources of comfort, love, and strength. In the setting of a pandemic, with heightened precautions and limited visitation by loved ones, all members of the clinical team are called to utilize compassionate listening and communication skills to address the pervasive isolation and grief of those in their care. This article uses a chaplain's personal narrative to explore the challenges of facilitating grief support with a newly bereaved patient who cannot speak. It presents the Biblical concept of kol d'mama daka, the "still small voice," as an image of the power of silence and revelation that comes when clinicians employ deep listening and compassion.

Associations between adolescents' empathy and prosocial attributes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a formative period of social development. Adolescents have experienced considerable changes in their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' prosocial attributes and empathy, as well as their longitudinal bilateral relationships. METHODS: A total of 2,510 students from five junior schools in Sichuan Province were recruited via random cluster sampling. Data were collected in December 2019 (Wave 1, before the outbreak of the pandemic) and July 2020 (Wave 2, during the pandemic) in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Prosocial attributes and empathy were measured with the Positive Youth Development Scale (GPYDS) subscale and Chinese Empathy Scale, respectively. RESULTS: During the pandemic, both empathy and prosocial attributes decreased significantly from 49.89 (9.12) and 49.89 (8.80) before to 48.29 (8.72) and 49.39 (9.26) (p < 0.001), respectively. A higher level of empathy at Wave 1 significantly predicted higher prosocial attributes at Wave 2 (ß = 0.173, SE = 0.021, t = 8.430, p < 0.001). A lower prosocial attributes score predicted a significantly lower empathy score from Wave 1 to Wave 2 (ß = 0.100, SE = 0.021, t = 4,884, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on adolescents' empathy and prosocial attributes. Special attention should be given to these two longitudinally associated factors in any social crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, considering their importance for adolescents' physical, mental, and social development.

Relationships Between Perceived Importance of Chaplain Presence and Health Professionals' Emotional Well-Being in the United States.

Hospital-based chaplains receive specialized training to provide spiritual support to patients and healthcare staff during difficult health transitions. However, the impact of perceived chaplain importance on healthcare staff's emotional and professional well-being is unclear. Healthcare staff (n = 1471) caring for patients in an acute care setting within a large health system answered demographic and emotional health questions in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Findings suggest that as perceived levels of chaplain importance increase, burnout may decrease and compassion satisfaction may improve. Chaplain presence in the hospital setting may support healthcare staff emotional and professional well-being following occupational stressors including COVID-19-related surges.

Importance of Soft Skills in Health Sciences Students and Their Repercussion after the COVID-19 Epidemic: Scoping Review.

Soft skills (SKs) are skills related to the interaction among people and their way of dealing with tasks. Increasingly valued in the workplace, they are especially relevant in health professionals due to the importance of the relationship among them and their patients and families. Given their importance, the university training of healthcare professionals must promote the development of SKs. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a turning point in many areas, changing the learning process and, even more, the use of these soft skills as a fundamental ingredient in human relationships. The aim of this study was to analyse the available evidence regarding SKs in health science students, specifically nursing students, and to describe whether there is a worsening in the development of such skills after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the PRISMA-ScR methodology for systematic reviews, this study included articles on social skills and possible changes in these skills as a consequence of the pandemic in health sciences students The results highlight the importance of these emotional competences for future nurses, being particularly relevant for communication and emotional self-awareness and showing their influence on academic aspects, such as academic performance or mental health and coping skills. A major limitation of the present study was not considering aspects such as compassion or empathy. However, the novelty provided by this work is the analysis of the changes in SKs produced as a consequence of the pandemic. It is definitely clear that there is a need to enhance emotional intelligence, and thus soft skills, in future health professionals.

Episodic future thinking and compassion reduce non-compliance urges regarding public health guidelines: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: People often feel urges to engage in activities that violate pandemic public health guidelines. Research on these urges has been reliant on measures of typical behaviour, which fail to capture these urges as they unfold. Guideline adherence could be improved through interventions, but few methods allow for ecologically valid observation of the range of behaviours that pandemic guidelines prescribe. METHODS: In this preregistered parallel randomised trial, 95 participants aged 18-65 from the UK were assigned to three groups using blinded block randomisation, and engaged in episodic future thinking (n = 33), compassion exercises (n = 31), or a control procedure (n = 31). Following an ecological momentary assessment procedure, participants report on the intensity of their occurrent urges (min. 1, max. 10) and their ability to control them. The study further investigates whether, and through which mechanism, state impulsivity and vaccine attitudes affect guideline adherence. RESULTS: Episodic future thinking (b = -1.80) and compassion exercises (b = -1.45) reduced the intensity of urges. State impulsivity is associated with stronger urges, but we found no evidence that vaccine hesitancy predicts lesser self-control. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that episodic future thinking exercises and compassion training may be used to decrease non-compliance urges of individuals who are an acute public health risk for the community, such as those in voluntary isolation.

Value of Schwartz Rounds in promoting the emotional well-being of healthcare workers: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Schwartz Rounds are forums that enable healthcare staff to reflect on emotional and social dimensions of their work. In this study, we aimed to explore the experiences of Schwartz Rounds on emotional aspects of care and practice within a clinical environment. DESIGN: Using qualitative methods, we interviewed participants individually and in focus groups. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed by thematic analysis. SETTING: The study was based at a public health service Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau in Auckland, New Zealand's largest, most ethnically diverse population. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were panellists who took part in successive Schwartz Rounds over a 10-month period. There were 17 participants with a range of experience (1-30 years) and occupations including clinical, allied, technical and administrative staff from medical specialties of plastic surgery, pain services, emergency medicine, intensive care, organ donation services, COVID-19 response and palliative care services. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: the need for emotional processing, valuing guided reflection and realising our humanity. The third theme 'realising our humanity' comprised altruism, connection and compassion. Schwartz Rounds provided staff with clear benefits: emotionally resonant experiences within an environment of psychological safety and connection to the wider organisation. The daunting nature of emotional disclosure was mitigated by a supportive audience. CONCLUSION: There is an organisational imperative to ensure that staff have opportunities to process intense emotions associated with healthcare work. Schwartz Rounds are one means to attend to the emotional welfare of healthcare staff, enabling them to gain different perspectives in the care of their patients and colleagues within system constraints.

The effect of an integrated palliative care intervention on quality of life and acute healthcare use in patients with COPD: Results of the COMPASSION cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: COPD causes high morbidity and mortality, emphasizing the need for palliative care. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of palliative care in patients with COPD. DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial (COMPASSION study; Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NL7644, 07-04-2019). Healthcare providers within the intervention group were trained to implement palliative care components into routine COPD care. Patients completed questionnaires at baseline, after 3 and 6 months; medical records were assessed after 12 months. The primary outcome was quality of life (FACIT-Pal). Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, spiritual well-being, satisfaction with care, acute healthcare use, documentation of life-sustaining treatment preferences and place of death. Generalized linear mixed modelling was used for analyses. SETTING: Eight hospital regions in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Patients hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of COPD and positive ProPal-COPD score. RESULTS: Of 222 patients included, 106 responded to the questionnaire at 6 months. Thirty-six of 98 intervention patients (36.7%) received the intervention. Intention-to-treat-analysis showed no effect on the primary outcome (adjusted difference: 1.09; 95% confidence interval: -5.44 to 7.60). In the intervention group, fewer intensive care admissions for COPD took place (adjusted odds ratio: 0.21; 95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.81) and strong indications were found for fewer hospitalizations (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.46-1.03). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that palliative care improves quality of life in patients with COPD. However, it can potentially reduce acute healthcare use. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic led to suboptimal implementation and insufficient power, and may have affected some of our findings.

The Primacy of Compassionate Love: Loneliness and Psychological Well-Being in Later Life.

Despite emerging research on compassionate love's positive influence on later-life psychological well-being, investigations on the mediating processes accountable for such effects are scarce. Using data from a nationwide web-based survey (N = 1,861), we performed a mediation analysis to assess the role of loneliness in explaining the impact of compassionate love on psychological well-being. Even after controlling for emotional support, our model estimates suggest that older adults who felt loved had significantly lower levels of loneliness (ß = -0.84, p < 0.001), significantly fewer depressive symptoms (ß = -0.86, p < 0.001), and lower anxiety (ß = -0.25, p > 0.05). Loneliness completely mediated the effect of compassionate love on anxiety (ß = -0.82, p < 0.001) and significantly mediated compassionate love's influence on depressive symptoms (ß = -1.18, p < 0.001). Our findings underscore the need for interventions that increase compassionate love to reduce loneliness and improve psychological well-being in later life. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(4), 12-20.].

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Parenting of Infants: A Couples Study.

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many negative changes in everyday functioning. This study aimed to establish how it impacts parental responsiveness towards their children; (2) Methods: 132 couples (N = 264) who were parents of young children (from 3 to 24 months; M = 12.61; SD = 6.71) participated in this study. The Parental Responsiveness Scale was used to measure parental responsiveness toward their own child and the Polish adaptation of the My Emotions Scale was used to measure emotional reactions to the child's cry. We collected data about perceived stress, fear of being affected by COVID-19, and emotional overload caused by the pandemic. An analysis using actor-partner interdependence models was carried out; (3) Results: there were actor effects for both parental responsiveness and reactions to the child's cry (for all measured aspects (frustration, amusement, anxiety, empathy, sympathy)). For women, parental responsiveness was a negative partner effect of stress, and for men, there was a positive effect of fear of being infected, emotional overload, and stress; (4) Conclusions: these results show how important it is to take care of families and investigate the effects of the pandemic on their functioning.

A stepwise guide for healthcare professionals requesting compassionate release for patients who are incarcerated.

PURPOSE: Compassionate release is a process that allows for the early release or parole of some incarcerated people of advanced age, with life-limiting illness, complex medical care needs or significant functional decline. Despite the expansion of State and Federal compassionate release programs, this mechanism for release remains underutilized. Health-care professionals are central to the process of recommending compassionate release, but few resources exist to support these efforts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for health-care professionals requesting compassionate release for patients who are incarcerated. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study is stepwise guide for health-care professionals requesting compassionate release for patients who are incarcerated. FINDINGS: This study describes the role of the health-care professional in requesting compassionate release and offers guidance to help them navigate the process of preparing a medical declaration or request for compassionate release. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: No prior publications have created a step-wise guide of this nature to aid health-care professionals through the compassionate release process.