Compassion, Mindfulness, and the Happiness of Healthcare Workers

• Published in: Explore (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2017-05, Vol.13 (3), p.201-206
• Main Authors: Benzo, Roberto P., Kirsch, Janae L., Nelson, Carlie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Emotions; Empathy; Exercise; Female; Happiness; Health Personnel - psychology; healthcare workers; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; job stress; Male; Middle Aged; mindfulness; Mindfulness - statistics & numerical data; Self Concept; self-compassion; Spirituality; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1550-8307; 1878-7541
• DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2017.02.001

Decreased well-being of healthcare workers expressed as stress and decreased job satisfaction influences patient safety, patient satisfaction, and cost containment. Self-compassion has garnered recent attention due to its positive association with well-being and happiness. Discovering novel pathways to increase the well-being of healthcare workers is essential. This study sought to explore the influence of self-compassion on employee happiness in healthcare professionals. A total of 400 participants (mean age = 45 ± 14, 65% female) healthcare workers at a large teaching hospital were randomly asked to complete questionnaires assessing their levels of happiness and self-compassion, life conditions, and habits. Participants completed the Happiness Scale and Self-Compassion Scales, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire as well as variables associated with well-being: relationship status, the number of hours spent exercising a week, attendance at a wellness facility, and engagement in a regular spiritual practice. Self-compassion was significantly and independently associated with perceived happiness explaining 39% of its variance after adjusting for age, marital status, gender, time spent exercising, and attendance to an exercise facility. Two specific subdomains of self-compassion from the instrument used, coping with isolation and mindfulness, accounted for 95% of the self-compassion effect on happiness. Self-compassion is meaningfully and independently associated with happiness and well-being in healthcare professionals. Our results may have practical implications by providing specific self-compassion components to be targeted in future programs aimed at enhancing well-being in healthcare professionals.