Self-Compassion for Caregivers of Children in Bereaved Families

• In Event: The Importance of the Emotional Context: Applications of mindfulness based interventions and concepts in four different settings

Abstract

Death of a close family member during childhood is not an uncommon experience. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was estimated that roughly a total of 140 million children ( Bereavement increases risks of a wide range of physical and mental health problems. For instance, bereaved children who lost a parent or sibling showed an increased risk for depression, anxiety, emotional and behavioral problems, neuroendocrine dysregulation, and mortality (e.g., Dowdney 2000). Family-based bereavement interventions have been shown to prevent a range of problem outcomes and promote resilience in bereaved parents and children. As the field moves towards acknowledging various grief experiences and possible interactions between grief and other mental and physical health problems, a transdiagnostic approach to family adaptation after loss is merited. In this presentation, we discuss self-compassion as a promising framework to optimize family-based bereavement care services, with three goals:
First, we integrate the conceptualization of self-compassion (Neff, 2003) into the dual process model of coping with bereavement (Stroebe & Shut, 2010). We argue that each of the three elements of self-compassion, namely, mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity, may facilitate coping with loss- and restoration-oriented stressors and the oscillation between the two coping processes.
Second, we review the extant scientific literature and propose a conceptual model with testable hypotheses to facilitate research in this area. This model suggests that the surviving parent’s self-compassion may be a resource for multiple adaptive outcomes in the parent, children, and other family members who are affected by bereavement. The pathways linking caregivers’ self-compassion and family members’ outcomes are through emotion regulation and quality of parenting. Specifically, self-compassion can promote adaptive emotion regulation, reduce maladaptive emotion regulation, and improve emotion regulation flexibility, which benefit bereavement outcomes of the caregiver and then “spill over” to children and other family members. Moreover, self-compassion can strengthen parental warmth, consistent discipline, mindful parenting, and grief facilitation, which further promote children’s adjustment after loss. Prior work supported part of this theoretical model (Zhang et al., 2022).
Third, against the backdrop of incorporating self-compassion training into parenting interventions, we will illustrate the utility of our theoretical framework by giving an example of a bereavement program that utilized a self-compassion framework. The program is called Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Families (Sandler et al., 2022). We will briefly present the rationale of infusing self-compassion as a result of collaboration with bereavement care community agencies. We will describe three tools in the program that were designed to boost self-compassion: Self-Kindness Words, Mindful Breathing Meditation, and Four Steps to Kinder Thoughts.
We conclude the presentation with ideas for future directions for research and practice.

Authors

• Na Zhang, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Irwin Sandler

• Kara Thieleman

• Sharlene A Wolchik

• Karey O'Hara, Arizona State University