The effectiveness of compassion therapy and meta-cognitive therapy on the level of nurses' meta-emotion

Tough and most intense job conditions make nurses unable to control negative emotion and meta-emotion and weaken their job performance. The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of compassion therapy and meta-cognitive therapy on nurses’ meta-emotion levels. The research method was experimental with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up design. The sample included ۶۰ nurses from hospitals in Tabriz in ۲۰۲۲, and they were randomly assigned to three groups of compassion therapy, meta-cognitive therapy and the control group. To collect the data, Mitmansgruber et al.’s (۲۰۰۹) meta-emotions scale was used. Then, the data were analyzed using the mixed analysis of variance model, Tukey's and Bonferroni's post hoc tests with the use of SPSS statistical software (version ۲۲). The results showed that the effect of time factor on the amount of meta-emotion and its dimensions is significant. In other words, except compassion and interest, the amount of other dimensions of meta-emotions has decreased from pre-test to follow-up. Also, the interaction effect of time and group indicated that there was a significant difference between the compassion therapy and meta-cognitive therapy and control groups in the amount of anger (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۲۰.۹۸; Partial Eta۲=۰.۴۲۴), shame (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۱۷.۴۷; Partial Eta۲=۰.۳۸۰), anger control (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۲۱.۳۹; Partial Eta۲=۴۲۹), suppression (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۸.۹۳; Partial Eta۲=۰.۳۲۹), compassion (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۲۱.۵۱; Partial Eta۲=۰.۴۳۰) and interest (p < ۰.۰۰۰; F=۳۶.۷۹; Partial Eta۲=۰.۵۶۴). But, no significant difference was observed between the effectiveness of these two interventions in reducing and increasing the amount of nurses’ meta-emotions. Considering the effectiveness of compassion and meta-cognitive therapys on the level of nurses’ meta-emotion, it seems that the application of compassion-based therapy and meta-cognitive therapy interventions will improve and moderate the level of meta-emotion in nurses.