Building Boundaries While Bolstering Bridges: Mental Health Professionals’ Expressions of Compassion for Those Who Use Opioids

Toupey Luft; L. Marie  Damgaard; Bronwyn  Davis

doi:10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.354

Authors

Toupey Luft University of Lethbridge https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7438-3866
L. Marie Damgaard Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4636-457X
Bronwyn Davis Faculty of Education, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0858-6522

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.354

Keywords:

compassion in mental health care, mental health professionals, opioid crisis,, self-compassion, boundaries in addiction treatment, reflexive thematic analysis

Abstract

To read the full-text Open Access article and download the PDFs, please visit our Issue portal at Paradigm (Walter de Gruyter): https://reference-global.com/article/10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.354

Introduction: The ongoing opioid crisis places significant demands on mental health professionals who work with individuals who use opioids. Compassionate care is essential in this context; however, research has primarily conceptualized compassion either as a client-directed intervention or as a protective factor for providers, with less attention to how compassion is experienced and enacted in everyday clinical practice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how mental health professionals express compassion in their work with opioid-using clients and how mindfulness is implicated in this process.

Methodology: Using an interpretive approach to qualitative research, ten mental health professionals from counselling, nursing, and psychology participated in semi-structured interviews focused on their experiences of compassion and mindful awareness while providing care within the opioid crisis. We then utilized reflexive thematic analysis for analysis of the qualitative data.

Results: The results of the reflexive thematic analyses showed the central theme of balancing separation and connection, which reflected how participants described compassion for their clients in the emotionally demanding context of opioid use and abuse. Two sub-themes elaborated this balancing process. Building boundaries described how participants engaged in self-kindness and boundary-setting to protect emotional capacity while providing competent care. Bolstering bridges captured efforts to connect with clients through shared humanity and mindful presence without becoming overwhelmed. Mindfulness was a key resource supporting awareness of internal states and sustained professional responsiveness.

Conclusion: This study uniquely positioned compassion as a dynamic process shaped by both connection and separation with clients and offers novel insight into sustaining compassionate care in high-demand contexts.

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