COMPATHY - THE CONTAGION OF PHYSICAL DISTRESS

A qualitative study examining the nurse-patient relationship has ident ified the contagion of physical distress or 'compathy' as a significan t but otherwise neglected phenomenon. Compathy occurs when one person observes another person suffering a disease or injury and experiences in one's physical body a similar or related distress. Thus, compathy i s the physical equivalent to empathy. Although the contagion of physio logical (compathetic) responses has been previously documented (for ex ample, as couvade or psychogenic epidemics of the workplace), it has n ot been theoretically explicated. Triggers for the compathetic respons e are identified and include observing the suffering, hearing, or read ing - or even thinking about - descriptions of the symptoms. The relev ance of the compathetic response in the caregiving relationship and th e necessity of suppressing the response when inflicting pain as a part of providing therapy are described. The concept of compathy is analys ed and defended.