Body compassion in the context of cancer: A novel exploration among colorectal cancer survivors

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) significantly impacts patients' physical well-being, often leading to distress and diminished quality of life (QOL). Body compassion (i.e., viewing one's body with kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity) could be relevant to psychosocial adjustment to cancer but has yet to be explored within the cancer context. This study aimed to introduce a novel measure of body compassion and examine its associations with demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables among CRC patients.

METHODS: Fifty-four patients with CRC completed a one-time survey assessing demographics, body compassion [Body Compassion Scale (BCS)], distress (HADS), loneliness (ULS-8), resilience (CD-RISC-10), and QOL (FACT-C). Descriptive and internal consistency reliability statistics characterized the BCS. Relationships with demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables were examined using correlations, t-tests, and hierarchical linear regressions.

RESULTS: The BCS showed excellent internal consistency reliability (α = .94) (M = 82.1, SD = 19.0). Patients with metastatic CRC (vs. non-metastatic; BCS total M Diff  = 12.2, CI 95% [0.4, 24.0]; defusion M Diff  = 5.0, CI 95% [-0.4, 10.3]; common humanity M Diff  = 5.7, CI 95% [-0.5, 12.0]) and those in treatment (vs. not; BCS total M Diff  = 14.1, CI 95% [0.5, 27.6]; defusion M Diff  = 6.2, CI 95% [0.1, 12.3]) reported lower body compassion. Higher total body compassion was associated with lower distress (B = -0.235, CI 95% [-0.32, -0.15]) and loneliness (B = -0.104, CI 95% [-0.18, -0.03]), and higher resilience (B = 0.215, CI 95% [0.12, 0.31]) and quality of life (B = 0.811, CI 95% [0.50, 1.12]). Among the BCS subscales, defusion demonstrated the most robust associations with medical (time since diagnosis, current ostomy, current treatment, metastatic disease) and psychosocial variables [distress (β = -.334), loneliness (β = -.444), resilience (β = .585)]; acceptance showed strong associations with distress (β = -.310) and quality of life (β = .384).

CONCLUSIONS: Body compassion appears relevant to psychosocial adjustment to CRC treatment and survivorship and may be particularly germane for patients with high disease burden. Further research on body compassion in cancer is warranted, such as longitudinal and multi-method designs across cancer populations.