One of the greatest challenges to human flourishing is our limited understanding of what flourishing means and how humans are able to flourish in the midst of adversity and suffering. Our work aims to understand how compassion alleviates suffering and promotes flourishing in healthcare settings.
The Challenge
In 2020, Templeton World Charity Foundation announced a bold, new commitment to support research on human flourishing. The Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics (FACE) at The Task Force for Global Health was one of 11 inaugural awardees, working alongside colleagues at Harvard University Human Flourishing Program, World Health Organization, University of Calgary Compassion Research Lab, Leapfrog to Value, and Emory University.
Our Approach
We took a three-part approach:
1) clarifying the conceptual, philosophical, spiritual, and scientific dimensions of human flourishing in relation to suffering, particularly in the context of healthcare
2) identifying the most robust scientific research methods, tools, and metrics to test our main hypothesis
3) engaging with potential collaborators in health systems in different countries and diverse cultures to understand the nature of flourishing and suffering in those settings, as well as to lay the groundwork for on-site research.
Flourishing Related Work
Flourishing in Adversity:
The Crucial Role of Compassion
in Healthcare Settings
The Crucial Role of Compassion
in Healthcare Settings
Article By David Addiss, MD, MPH
November 30, 2021
Compassion Toolbox
Available now!
Understanding Flourishing:
Developing a Global
Community of Practice
Developing a Global
Community of Practice
Report coming soon!
Webinar 3:
Human Flourishing and Adversity
Speakers: Dr. David Addiss, FACE,
Dr. Deborah Carr, Boston University,
Dr. Shigehiro Oishi, University of Virginia
October 11, 2021
Compassionate Care:
Learning from exemplars in global health to promote human flourishing
Coming Soon!
Look out for these upcoming releases!
Understanding Flourishing: Developing a Global Community of Practice Report
Compassionate Care:
Learning from exemplars in global health to promote human flourishing (Scrollytelling Part 1)
Our Partners
Collaborators
David Addiss, MD, MPH, Director, FACE
Heather Buesseler, MPH, Consultant
Patricia Richmond, MPH, Program Administrator
Matthew Lee, PhD, Director of Empirical Research, Human Flourishing Program
Katelyn Noel Gregg Long, PhD, John & Daria Barry Post-Doctoral Fellow, Human Flourishing Program
Jennifer S. Wortham, DrPH, Research Associate, Human Flourishing Program and Executive Director, Initiative On Health, Religion, & Spirituality
Jennifer Mascaro, PhD, Assistant Professor, Family & Preventive Medicine
Shams Syed, MD, MPH, Head of Unit, Quality of Care
Chintan Maru, MD, Founder & Executive Director
Shane Sinclair, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Nursing & Director, Compassion Research Lab
