Fears of Compassion and its relation to Psychological Abuse Experiences and Cognitive Distortions among University students "A psychometric – clinical study"

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Education , Minia University, Minia , Egypt

Abstract

The researh aimed at investigating the correlation between Fears of Compassion, Psychological Abuse Experiences, and Cognitive Distortions among university students. it revealed the significance of the gender differences in Fears of Compassion. Also, the role of Psychological Abuse Experiences and Cognitive Distortions in predicting Fears of Compassion. In addition, it aimed at identifying the role of Cognitive Distortions as mediator between Psychological Abuse Experiences and Fears of Compassion beside the differences of personality dynamics and psychological structure of the highest fears of compassion case and the lowest fears of compassion case from the perspective of clinical study. Sample of the study consisted of (370) university students, while the sample of the clinical study consisted of extreme cases. The tools of the study included the Fears of Compassion scale, Psychological Abuse Experiences scale and Cognitive Distortions scale (prepared by the researcher). Also, it included the interview form and a group of T.A.T charts. The study resulted in: there is a positive and significant correlation between Fears of Compassion, Psychological Abuse Experiences, and Cognitive Distortions. Also, There are statistically significant differences between males and females in fears of compassion(total degree) favoring females. Also, Psychological Abuse Experiences and Cognitive Distortions have a significant and a statistical contribution to the prediction of Fears of Compassion and its dimensions. Cognitive Distortions was a partial mediator variable between Psychological Abuse Experiences and Fears of Compassion. The clinical results coincided with psychometric results, but clinical results explained the causal relationship between the phenomena revealed by psychometric study.

Keywords

Main Subjects


-         American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). (2017). APSAC practice guidelines: The investigation and determination of suspected psychological maltreatment of children and adolescents. Columbus, OH: Author.
-         American Psychiatric Association.(2013). Diagnostic and statisticalmanual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.
-         Arslan, G. (2017). Psychological maltreatment, forgiveness, mindfulness, and internet addiction among young adults: A study of mediation effect. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 57-66.
-         Asano, K., Tsuchiya, M., Ishimura, I., Lin, S., Matsumoto, Y., Miyata, H., … Gilbert, P. (2017) The development of fears of compassion scale Japanese version. PLOS ONE, 12,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185574
-         Awang, Z. (2012). A handbook on structural equation modeling using AMOS. Malaysia: Universiti Technologi MARA Press.
-         Baker, A., Brassard, M., & Rosenzweig, J. (2021). Psychological maltreatment: Definition and reporting barriers among american professionals in the field of child abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 114,1-10.
-         Beck, A. (2005). The current state of cognitive therapy: A 40-year retrospective.Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 953–959.
-         Boykin, D., Himmerich, S., Pinciotti, C., Miller, L., Miron, L., & Orcutt, H. (2018). Barriers to self-compassion for female survivors of childhood maltreatment: The roles of fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 216-224.
-         Boyle, D. (2011). Countering compassion fatigue: A requisite nursing agenda. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.  16(1),1-13.
-         Briere, J. (2000). The cognitive distortion scale professional manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.
-         Castilho, P., Gouveia, J., Amaral,V., & Duarte, D. (2014). Recall of threat and submissiveness in childhood and psychopathology: The mediator effect of self-criticism. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 21,73-83.
-         Çevik, Ö. & Tanhan, F.(2020). Fear of compassion: Description, causes and prevention. Current Approaches in Psychiatry - Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar,12(3), 342-351.
-         Chang, J., Fresco, J., & Green, B.(2014). The development and validation of the compassion of others’ lives scale (The COOL Scale). International Journal of Humanities and Social Science,4(5),33-42.
-         Cocker, F. & Joss, N. (2016). Compassion fatigue among healthcare, emergency and community service workers: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13, 618. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13060618
-          Cook, S., Meyer, D., & Knowles, S. (2019). Relationships between psychoevolutionary fear of evaluation, cognitive distortions, and social anxiety symptoms: A preliminarystructural equation model. Australian Journal of Psychology,71(2), 92-99.
-         Cunha, M., Xavier, A., Galhardo, A.,& Pereira, C.(2015). The relationship between early adverse experiences and socialanxiety in adolescence: The mediator role of fears of compassion. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280527504
-         Dembo, J.,Veen, S., & Widdershoven, G.(2020). The influence of cognitive distortions on decision-making capacity for physician aid in dying. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 72, 1-8.
-         Dias, A., Sales, L., Hessen, D., & Kleber, R. (2015). Child maltreatment and psychological symptoms in a Portuguese adult community sample: The harmful effects of emotional abuse. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24, 767-778.
-         Dias, B., Ferreria, C., &Trindade, I. (2020) Influence of fears of compassion on body image shame and disordered eating. Eating and Weight Disorders, 25(3),99-106.
-         Ferreira, C., Dias, B., & Oliveira, S.(2019). Behind women's body image-focused shame: Exploring the role of fears of compassion and self-criticism. Eating Behaviors, 32,12-17.
-         Figley, C.(2002). Treating compassion fatigue. New York: Brunner-Routledge.
-         Fivush, R.(2006). Scripting attachment: Generalized event representations and internal working models. Attachment & Human Development,8(3), 283 – 289.
-         Gee, L.(2012). Enhancing self-compassion: The effects of compassionate imagery and the fear of compassion (Doctoral thesis). University of Surrey, United Kingdom. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/enhancing-self-compassion-effects-compassionate/docview/2282532068/se-2?accountid=178282
-         Geller, J., Iyar, M., Kelly, A., & Srikameswaran, S. (2019). Barriers to self-compassion in the eating disorders: The factor structure of the fear of self-compassion scale. Eating Behaviors, 35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.101334
-         Gilbert, P. (2014). The origins and nature of compassion focused therapy. British Journalof Clinical Psychology, 53, 6 – 41.
-         Gilbert, P., Cheung, M., Grandfield,T., Campey, F., & Irons, C.(2003). Recall of threat and submissiveness in childhood: Development of a new scale and its relationship with depression, social comparison and shame. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 10(2),108 – 115.
-         Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Catarino, F., & Baião, R. (2014a). Fears of compassion in a depressed population implication for psychotherapy.Journal of Depression & Anxiety, S3(01). http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-1044.S2-003
-         Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Catarino, F., & Baião, R.(2014b). Fear of negative emotions in relation to fears of happiness ,compassion, alexithymia and psychopathology in depressed population: A preliminary study. Journal of Depression & Anxiety, S2(004). https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-1044.S2-004
-         Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Catarino, F., Baião, R., & Palmeira, L. (2014). Fears of happiness and compassion in relationship with depression, alexithymia, and attachment security in a depressed sample. BritishJournal of Clinical Psychology, 53(2), 228–244.  
-         Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Gibbons, L., Chotai, S., Duarte, J., & Matos, M. (2012). Fears of compassion and happiness in relation to alexithymia, mindfulness, and self-criticism. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 85(4), 374–390.
-         Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Matos, M., & Rivis, A. (2011). Fears of compassion: Development of three self-report measures. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 84, 239- 255.
-         Gilbert, P., & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study. Clinical Psychology andPsychotherapy, 13, 353–379.
-         Gouveia, J., Xavier,  A., & Cunha, M. (2016). Assessing early memories of threat and subordination: Confirmatory factor analysis of the early life experiences scale for adolescents. Journal Child Family Studies,25,54-64.
-         Grohol, J. (2016). 15 common cognitive distortions. Psych Central.Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions#The-Most-Common-Cognitive-Distortions
-         Harris, L. (2017) The relationship between fear of compassion, attitudes towards emotional expression and subjective well-beingamong a community adultsample (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Essex University, Colchester.
-         Hayes, A., & Coutts, J. (2020). Use omega rather than Cronbach's alphafor estimating reliability. But....  Communication Methods and Measures14, 1-24.
-         Hermanto, N., Zuroff, D., Kopala-Sibley, D., Kelly, D., Matos, M., Gilbert, P., & Koestner, R.(2016). Ability to receive compassion from others buffers the depressogenic effect of self-criticism: A cross-cultural multi-study analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 98, 324-332.
-         Janzen,G. (2007). What highly self-critical clients experienceduring therapy (Doctoral thesis). University of Alberta, Edmonton . https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/what-highly-self-critical-clients-experience/docview/304788958/se-2?accountid=178282
-         Jazaieri, H., Jinpa, G., McGonigal, K., Rosenberg, E., Finkelstein, J., Simon-Thomas, E., … Goldin, P. (2012). Enhancing compassion: A randomized controlled trial of a compassion cultivation training program. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 1113-1126.
-          Joeng, J.(2014). The Mediating roles of fear of compassion from self and others, self-Compassion, and perceptions of social support on the relationships between self-criticism and depressive symptoms (Doctoral thesis). The University of Minnesota, Minnesota. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/mediating-roles-fear-compassion-self-others/docview/1635316437/se-2?accountid=178282
-         Kelly, A., Carter, J., Zuroff, D., & Borairi, S.(2013). Self-compassion and fear of self-compassion interact to predict response to eating disorders treatment: A preliminary investigation. Psychotherapy Research,23(3),252-264.
-         Kelly, A. & Dupasquier, J.(2016). Social safeness mediates the relationship between recalled parental warmth and the capacity for self-compassion and receiving compassion. Personality and Individual Differences, 89,157-161.
-              Kirby,  J., Day, J., & Sagar, V.(2019). The ‘Flow’ of compassion: A meta-analysis of the fears of compassion scales and psychological functioning . Clinical Psychology Review, 70, 26-39.
-         Kuzucu, Y., Sariot,Q., & Gokdas, I. (2020).  Cognitive distortions and problematic internet use connection: Examining the mediator roles of loneliness and social anxiety by partialling out the effects of social desirability. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies 20(1),51- 76.
-         Matos, M., Duarte, J., & Gouveia, J.(2017). The origins of fears of compassion: Shame and lack of safeness memories, fears of compassion and psychopathology. The Journal of Psychology Interdisciplinary and Applied,151(8),1-35.
-         Miron, L., Seligowski, V., Boykin, M., & Orcutt, H. (2016). The potential indirect effect of childhood abuse on posttrauma pathology through self-compassion and fear of self-compassion. Mindfulness,7,596-605.
-         Miron, L., Sherrill, A., & Sherrill, H. (2015). Fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility interact to predict PTSD symptom severity. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 4, 37-41.
-         Murray, H. (1971). Thematic Apperception Test “ Manual .U.S.A : Harvard University Press.
-         Naismith, L., Guerrero, S., & Feigenbaum, J.(2019). Abuse, invalidation, and lack of early warmth show distinct relationships with self‐criticism, self‐compassion, and fear of self‐compassion in personality disorder. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy,26,350–361.
-         Narimani, M., Mahmoodi-Aghdam, M., & Abolghasemi, A. (2012). The role of child abuse and neglect in predicting the early maladaptive schemas domain. Zahedan Journal of Research inMedical Sciences, 14(10), 28-32.
-         Neff, K. (2003a). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223–250.
-         Neff, K. (2003b). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Selfand Identity, 2, 85–101.
-         Neff, K. & Germer, C. (2017). Self-compassion and psychological wellbeing. In J. Doty (Ed.), Oxford handbook of compassion science, Chap. 27. Oxford University Press.
-         Neff, K., & McGehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9, 225-240.
-         Neff, K., Rude, S., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal ofResearch in Personality, 41, 908-916.
-         Oliveira, V., Ferreira, C., Mendes, A., & Marta-Simoes, J.(2017). Shame and eating psychopathology in Portuguese women: Exploring the roles of self-judgment and fears of receiving compassion. Appetite, 110, 80-85.
-          Panourgia, C., & Comoretto, A. (2017). Do cognitive distortions explain the longitudinal relationship between life adversity and emotional and behavioural problems in secondary school children?. Stress and Health, 33(5), 590-599.
-         Poletti, S., Colombo, C., & Benedetti, F. (2014). Adverse childhood experiences worsen cognitive distortion during adult bipolar depression. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55(8),1803-1808.
-         Roberts, M. ( 2015 ). Inventory of cognitive distortions: Validation of a measure of cognitive distortions using a community sample (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia.
-         Shi, L. (2013). Childhood abuse and neglect in an outpatient clinical sample: Prevalenceand impact. American Journal of Family Therapy, 41, 198-211.
-         Strauss, C., Taylor, B., Gu, J., Kuyken,W., Baer, R., Jones, F., & Cavanagh, K. (2016). What is compassion and how can we measure it? A review of definitions and measures. Clinical Psychology Review, 47,15-27.
-         Taillieu, T., Brownridge, D., Sareen, J., & Afifi, T. (2016). Childhood emotional maltreatment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative adult sample from the United States. Child Abuse & Neglect, 59, 1–12.
-         Trindade, I., Duarte, J., Ferreira, C., Coutinho, M., & Gouveia, J. (2017). The impact of illness‐related shame on psychological health and social relationships: Testing a mediational model in students with chronic illness. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 25(2),408-414.
-         U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2018). Child maltreatment 2016. Available from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2016.pdf
-         VandenBos, G. (2015). APA dictionaryof psychology (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
-         Van Der Hart, O., Nijenhuis, E., & Steele, K. (2006). The haunted self: Structural dissociation and the treatment of chronic traumatization. New York: Norton.
-         Vettese, L., Dyer, C., Li, W., & Wekerle, C. (2011). Does self- compassion mitigate the association between childhood maltreat- ment and later emotion regulation difficulties? A preliminary investigation. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 9, 480-491.
-          Whetsel, T.(2017). Examining fears of compassion as a potential mediator between shame an danger (Unpublished Master's thesis). Eastern Washington University, Washington.
-         Wood, E. & Riggs, S. (2008). Predictors of child molestation adult attachment, cognitive distortions, and empathy. Journal of Interpersonal Violence,23(2), 259-275.
-         Xavier, A., Gouveia, J., & Cunha, M.(2016). Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: The role of shame, self-criticism and fear of self-compassion. Child& Youth Care Forum,45(4),571-586.
-         Xavier, A., Cunha, M., & Gouveia, J.(2015). Deliberate self-harm in adolescence: The impact of childhood experiences, negative affect and fears of compassion.Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 20, 41-49.