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Self-Compassion Interventions to Target Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review

Author

Listed:
  • Annabel Rushforth

    (College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK)

  • Mia Durk

    (Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK)

  • Gabby A. A. Rothwell-Blake

    (Independent Researcher, Sheffield S1 4RG, UK)

  • Ann Kirkman

    (College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK)

  • Fiona Ng

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK)

  • Yasuhiro Kotera

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2TU, UK)

Abstract

Healthcare professionals’ wellbeing can be adversely affected by the intense demands of, and the secondary traumatic stress associated with, their job. Self-compassion is associated with positive wellbeing outcomes across a variety of workforce populations and is potentially an important skill for healthcare workers, as it offers a way of meeting one’s own distress with kindness and understanding. This systematic review aimed to synthesise and evaluate the utility of self-compassion interventions in reducing secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare worker population. Eligible articles were identified from research databases, including ProQuest, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. The quality of non-randomised and randomised trials was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The literature search yielded 234 titles, from which 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies reported promising effects of self-compassion training for secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare population, although these did not use controls. The methodological quality of these studies was medium. This highlights a research gap in this area. Three of these four studies recruited workers from Western countries and one recruited from a non-Western country. The Professional Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate secondary traumatic stress in all studies. The findings show preliminary evidence that self-compassion training may improve secondary traumatic stress in healthcare professional populations; however, there is a need for greater methodological quality in this field and controlled trials. The findings also show that the majority of research was conducted in Western countries. Future research should focus on a broader range of geographical locations to include non-Western countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Annabel Rushforth & Mia Durk & Gabby A. A. Rothwell-Blake & Ann Kirkman & Fiona Ng & Yasuhiro Kotera, 2023. "Self-Compassion Interventions to Target Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:12:p:6109-:d:1169518
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yasuhiro Kotera & Katia Correa Vione, 2020. "Psychological Impacts of the New Ways of Working (NWW): A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Yasuhiro Kotera & Robert Maxwell-Jones & Ann-Marie Edwards & Natalie Knutton, 2021. "Burnout in Professional Psychotherapists: Relationships with Self-Compassion, Work–Life Balance, and Telepressure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Yasuhiro Kotera & Melinda Lyons & Katia Correa Vione & Briony Norton, 2021. "Effect of Nature Walks on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Yasuhiro Kotera & Holly Young & Sarah Maybury & Muhammad Aledeh, 2022. "Mediation of Self-Compassion on Pathways from Stress to Psychopathologies among Japanese Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, September.
    5. Yasuhiro Kotera & Akihiko Ozaki & Hirotomo Miyatake & Chie Tsunetoshi & Yoshitaka Nishikawa & Makoto Kosaka & Tetsuya Tanimoto, 2022. "Qualitative Investigation into the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Graziella Orrù & Francesca Marzetti & Ciro Conversano & Guido Vagheggini & Mario Miccoli & Rebecca Ciacchini & Eugenia Panait & Angelo Gemignani, 2021. "Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout in Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Outbreak," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Amanda Super & Joanna Yarker & Rachel Lewis & Samuel Keightley & Denvar Summers & Fehmidah Munir, 2024. "Developing Self-Compassion in Healthcare Professionals Utilising a Brief Online Intervention: A Randomised Waitlist Control Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Andrea M. D’Alessandro-Lowe & Mauda Karram & Kim Ritchie & Andrea Brown & Heather Millman & Emily Sullo & Yuanxin Xue & Mina Pichtikova & Hugo Schielke & Ann Malain & Charlene O’Connor & Ruth Lanius &, 2023. "Coping, Supports and Moral Injury: Spiritual Well-Being and Organizational Support Are Associated with Reduced Moral Injury in Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(19), pages 1-17, September.

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