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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant issue for a substantial proportion of Australian ex‐service personnel. In addition to the functional impact on individuals, PTSD can have a significant impact on intimate partner relationships. Research has demonstrated that practicing compassion and self‐compassion may be an important component of psychological therapy for survivors of trauma, while also demonstrating benefits to intimate relationships. This pilot study aimed to investigate the utility of a Compassionate Mind Training intervention for ex‐service personnel with PTSD and their partners. An uncontrolled, within‐subjects, longitudinal design was utilized with assessment at pre‐intervention, post‐intervention and 3‐month follow‐up. Twenty‐four participants attended 12 biweekly group sessions. Self‐report measures of compassion, quality of life and psychological symptoms were administered at each time point. Findings demonstrated a significant reduction in fears of compassion and PTSD symptoms for ex‐service personnel at 3‐month follow‐up and a reduction in depressive symptoms and increase in quality‐of‐life and social safeness at post‐intervention. Additionally, significant reductions in anxiety, stress, external shame and self‐criticism at 3‐month follow‐up were found, and couples reported significant increases in relationship satisfaction. Findings from this pilot study demonstrate promising outcomes, warranting further investigation in a larger randomized controlled trial of Compassionate Mind Training for ex‐service personnel and their partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While compassion-focused therapy (CFT) holds significant promise as an intervention for survivors of sexual abuse, a history of abuse can uniquely impact an individual's capacity to cultivate compassion and may generate a fear of compassion. Understanding the specific perspectives of sexual abuse survivors may inform the application of CFT-based interventions with this client group. Two separate focus groups were established for this purpose, one with adult female survivors of sexual abuse (n = 7) and another with sexual abuse counselors (n = 7). Transcripts were analyzed according to a consensual qualitative research design. Analysis of the survivor focus group identified two core domains, Barriers to Compassion, including poor relational templates, negative perception of self, low coping self-efficacy, and fears, resistance, and misperceptions regarding self-compassion, and Factors Supporting Compassion, including support from others, compassion for others, high coping self-efficacy, motivation and hope for change, and timing and readiness for change. Analysis of the counselor focus group revealed three domains, Therapeutic Factors to Support Compassion, including counselor authenticity and modeling, gradual introduction with consideration to individual needs, acknowledgment of suffering and offering an alternative perspective; Factors Affecting Client Readiness and Capacity, including shame, self-blame, and negative sense of self, response from others, and difficulty in changing self-critical habits; and Anticipated Outcomes, including providing a hope and recovery focus, offering an alternative perspective and coping strategy, and restoring trust. Findings are discussed in relation to clinical implications and relevance to a CFT model of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Compassion, a social mentality, is shaped by social context. Social roles may facilitate or hinder compassionate motivations directed to others, received from others, or expressed to oneself. As such, cultural differences may emerge in compassion competencies and fears of compassion. However, current research has been limited in understanding such cultural differences in compassion competencies and fears of compassion, and the relationships among them. The current study aimed to explore cultural differences between Australians (as an example of a loose/individualistic culture) and Singaporeans (as an example of a tight‐collectivist culture) on compassion competencies and fears of compassion, and whether the relationships between compassion competencies and fears of compassion, and the relationships between compassion variables and psychological outcomes, differ. Method: In a cross‐sectional design, a total of 435 participants took part in this study, were allocated to their self‐identified culture (Australians and Singaporeans), and completed self‐report measures of compassion competencies, fears of compassion, psychopathology and positive affect. Results: There were significant differences on compassion competencies and fears of compassion between Australians and Singaporeans. There were also significant differences between Australians and Singaporeans in the inter‐correlations among the flows of compassion and fears of compassion, however the relationships between the compassion variables and psychological outcomes did not significantly differ across culture in general. Conclusions: Tight/collectivist cultural norms may hinder expression of compassion towards others, but may facilitate increased self‐compassion as compared to loose cultural norms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of cancer treatments that have become available. However, it has remained difficult to choose the most appropriate time to cease active therapy in individual patients. Aims To determine the proportion of patients being treated with palliative intent who received systemic anticancer treatment in the last 30 days of life. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted within the Melbourne Oncology Group at Cabrini Hospital. Patients managed with palliative intent who died between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2014 were included. Outcomes measured were the percentage of patients who received systemic anticancer treatment in the last 30 days of life, palliative care referral status, Emergency Department presentations, hospital admissions and place of death. Results A total of 80 patients was included in the study. Of these patients, 21 (26%) received systemic anticancer treatment in the last 30 days of life. There was no statistically significant difference between patients who received treatment in the last month of life and those who did not in terms of the number of patients who were referred to palliative care, presented to an Emergency Department, were admitted to hospital or died in an acute ward. Conclusion Although over a quarter of patients dying from advanced cancer received anticancer treatment in the last month of life, these patients did not present acutely to hospital more often and had the same extent of palliative care team involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]