May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in Canada, May 6 - 12 is CMHA Mental Health Week. This Mental Health Week the theme is: “A call to be kind, compassion connects us all." Here at JMIR Publications, we're committed to advancing mental health research, and we believe compassion plays a crucial role in both understanding and supporting well-being.
In this blog post, we'll be delving into compassion by showcasing five key research papers published in our journals. These papers explore various facets of compassion, from its integration into technology-driven interventions to its delivery methods in the digital age.
1. Web-Based Self-Compassion Training to Improve the Well-Being of Youth With Chronic Medical Conditions: Randomized Controlled Trial
Finlay-Jones AL, Parkinson A, Sirois F, Perry Y, Boyes M, Rees CS
Journal of Medical Internet Research
This study aims to test the efficacy of a 4-week, self-guided, web-based self-compassion training program for improving well-being among young Australians (aged 16-25 years) living with a chronic medical condition. The primary outcomes were self-compassion, emotion regulation difficulties, and coping; the secondary outcomes were well-being, distress, and quality of life. We also sought to test whether changes in primary outcomes mediated changes in secondary outcomes and gather feedback about the strengths and limitations of the program.
2. The Role of Compassionate Technology in Blended and Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Scoping Review
van Lotringen C, Lusi B, Westerhof GJ, Ludden GDS, Kip H, Kelders SM, Noordzij ML
JMIR Mental Health
This systematic scoping review explored the literature for previous instances where technology for mental health care has been linked to compassion or empathy to investigate how DMHIs can support compassion in mental health care.
3. Design and Implementation of a Brief Digital Mindfulness and Compassion Training App for Health Care Professionals: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Jaiswal S, Purpura SR, Manchanda JK, Nan J, Azeez N, Ramanathan D, Mishra J
JMIR Mental Health
In this study, we designed and implemented a scalable, digital app–based, brief mindfulness and compassion training program called “WellMind” for health care professionals. A total of 22 adult participants completed up to 60 sessions of WellMind training, 5-10 minutes in duration each, over 3 months. In this scenario, promoting self-compassion and mindfulness may be beneficial for well-being. Notably, scalable, digital app–based methods may have the potential to enhance self-compassion and mindfulness in health care professionals.
4. A Compassion-Focused Ecological Momentary Intervention for Enhancing Resilience in Help-Seeking Youth: Uncontrolled Pilot Study
Rauschenberg C, Boecking B, Paetzold I, Schruers K, Schick A, van Amelsvoort T, Reininghaus U
JMIR Mental Health
5. Delivery of Compassionate Mental Health Care in a Digital Technology–Driven Age: Scoping Review
Kemp J, Zhang T, Inglis F, Wiljer D, Sockalingam S, Crawford A, Lo B, Charow R, Munnery M, Singh Takhar S, Strudwick G
Journal of Medical Internet Research
This scoping review aimed to identify existing digital technologies being used by patients and health professionals in the delivery of mental health care, understand how digital technologies are being used in the delivery of compassionate mental health care, and determine the facilitators of and barriers to digital technology use among patients and health professionals in the delivery of compassionate mental health care.
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