Self-compassion and barriers to self-compassion in physicians at a NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center (396)

Abstract

<b>Objectives:</b> Physician compassion is associated with improved patient outcomes, including patient satisfaction and compliance. Compassion for oneself has been shown to ameliorate burnout and anxiety in physicians. Self-compassion is an adaptive coping mechanism to respond to uncertainty and challenges. Self-compassion encompasses three components: self-kindness versus self-judgment, a sense of common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-identification with painful thoughts and emotions. Our objective was to evaluate self-compassion across physicians at a comprehensive cancer center and identify differences in self-compassion according to workplace factors and demographic variables. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study of physicians employed at an NCI- designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in December 2019 using a 115-question instrument that included multiple validated measures of wellbeing, including the Neff's Self-Compassion Scale short form (SCS-SF). SCS-SF is a 12-item scale scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Professional Fulfilment Index (PFI), a 16-item measure, evaluating burnout and fulfillment, was included. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, ANOVAs, and Pearson's correlations. <b>Results:</b> One hundred and seventy-three surveys were collected with a response rate of 46.6%. Respondents were 63% male and 36% female. The majority of participants were aged 30-49 years, and subspecialty was evenly distributed. There were differences in selfcompassion scores across self-reported gender in the subscales of over-identification, common humanity, and mindfulness (Table 1). Increasing age and years of clinical experience were associated with better scores on the overidentified sub-scales (p=0.009, p=0.005). Self-compassion was not statistically associated with a subspecialty, hours worked, or percentage of clinical time. Respondents with children at home had greater scores in the common humanity subscale (p=0.039). Self-compassion composite mean and subscales scores (except over-identification) were positively correlated with all categories of physician support. Performance on all PFI subscales correlated with self-compassion. Participants that met the criteria for burnout had lower scores on all the SCS subscales. <b>Conclusions:</b> Physicians with higher self-compassion experience better professional well-being, more work engagement, and less work exhaustion. In this study of physicians at a large NCC, we identified several groups with lower self-compassion scores, including females, those with burnout, and those with lower job satisfaction. Additionally, increasing age and clinical experience were positively correlated with higher self-compassion, as were nearly all types of reported support. As self-compassion is a learned skill that can be fostered, these findings suggest that there are multiple cohorts of physicians that may benefit from additional institutional-sponsored interventions and enhanced support.