Scared of compassion: Fear of compassion in anxiety, mood, and non-clinical groups
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Date
2020-05-04
Authors
Merritt, Olivia
Purdon, Christine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
British Psychological Society
Abstract
Objectives. Fear of receiving compassion from others, expressing compassion to
others, and being compassionate towards oneself have been identified as potentially
important factors in the persistence of depression, stress disorders, and eating disorders.
There is good reason to expect that these fears may play a role in anxiety and related
difficulties, but there is little available information on the extent to which they are present
and associated with symptom severity.
Methods. This study compared the severity of the three fears of compassion (receiving,
expressing to others, and showing to oneself) in those with a principal diagnosis of
depression (n = 34), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD; n = 27), social anxiety
disorder (SAD; n = 91), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD, n = 43), and a control
sample with no mental health difficulties (n = 212).
Results. Those with depression, OCD, SAD, and GAD exhibited greater fear of
receiving compassion and fear of self-compassion than controls, and the differences
between anxious and control groups remained significant even when controlling for
depressed mood. Whereas fears of compassion did not predict symptom severity over
and above depressed mood in people with GAD, fear of receiving compassion uniquely
predicted SAD symptom severity, and fear of expressing compassion for others uniquely
predicted OCD symptom severity in those high on fear of self-compassion.
Conclusions. Fear of compassion is higher in those with anxiety and related disorders
than non-anxious controls. Although further research is needed, clinicians may benefit
from assessing fear of compassion and addressing it in treatment.
Description
Keywords
anxiety/anxiety disorders, OCD/obsessive–compulsive disorder, self-compassion, compassion, fear of compassion