title: Patient suffering and caregiver compassion: new opportunities for research, practice, and policy.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to stimulate discussion and research about patient suffering and caregiver compassion. It is our view that these constructs are central to understanding phenomena such as family caregiving, and that recognizing their unique role in the caregiving experience provides new directions for intervention research, clinical practices, and social policy. We first define and characterize these constructs, review empirical evidence supporting the distinct role of suffering and compassion in the context of caregiving, and then present a conceptual model linking patient suffering with caregiver compassion. We conclude with a discussion of implications and future directions for clinical intervention, research, and policy.
authors.affiliation: University Center for Social and Urban Research, 121 University Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. schulz@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Randy S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hebert
authors.forename: Mary Amanda
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dew
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Scheier
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.forename: Sara J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Czaja
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Martire
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coon
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Langa
authors.forename: Laura N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Gitlin
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nichols
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D011364:Professional Practice; D011640:Public Policy; D012106:Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*