Compassion and Human Development: Current Approaches and Future Directions

Abstract

The authors’ aim in this article is to stimulate thinking and a new generation of scholarship on how compassion develops over the life span and may be cultivated to improve individual and societal health, well-being, and interpersonal relationships. The authors discuss conceptualizations of compassion, overview research on the development of compassion, and outline prospects for prevention and health-promotion efforts focused on the cultivation of compassion in children, adolescents, and caregivers. The authors note little programmatic work has been done with regard to providing compassion training to children and adolescents and see this as an area ripe for more exploration. The authors conclude by proposing future directions for research on compassion and human development.