Understandings and applications of self-compassion and self-coldness among Hazaras in Australia: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Objective

Emerging research suggests that self-compassion and self-coldness are involved in the treatment of psychological difficulties among refugees and asylum seekers. Self-compassion involves treating oneself with warmth and care and self-coldness involves treating oneself with harsh judgement. We aimed to explore the unique understandings and applications of self-compassion and self-coldness among Hazara asylum seekers and refugees in Australia.

Method

Eleven Hazaras (ninemen and two women) who were seeking asylum or had a refugee background were interviewed about their understandings and applications of self-compassion and self-coldness. Transcripts of interview recordings were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Participants reported wide variation in their understandings and applications of self-compassion and self-coldness. Participants broadly reported difficulties turning inwards with self-compassion. Participants also tended to place the needs of others before their own because of their histories and community/cultural ideas about self-compassion, such as self-compassion being selfish or justified only if in service of others. Experiencing significant external stressors, such as long standing family separation and visa insecurity, were also barriers to contacting private experiences.

Conclusions

The current study identified several important barriers among the Hazara community in applying self-compassion. Descriptive terms for self-compassion and self-coldness are also provided by the community and might inform clinical approaches.

Key Points

What is already known about this topic

1. Hazara refugees and asylum seekers in Australia report significant contextual barriers and concerns about their mental health and separation from family.

2. Self-compassion and self-coldness are psychological variables which have been implicated in mental health outcomes including recovery from refugee trauma.

3. To the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have explored the understandings and applications of self-compassion and self-coldness among Hazara asylum seekers and refugees.

What this topic adds

1. Hazaras reported difficulties turning inwards instead prioritising the needs of others which might influence the adoption of self-compassion.

2. Community views of self-compassion and self-coldness further influenced their understanding and application of self-compassion and self-coldness.

3. Hazaras also provided unique descriptions of self-compassion and self-coldness which might be useful when working clinically with this group.

KEYWORDS:

• Hazara
• refugee
• self-compassion
• self-coldness
• qualitative

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2023.2257362.

Data availability statement

Data will not be made publicly available given that participants were not asked to consent to data sharing because of the sensitive nature of the data.