A Socio-Demographic Analysis of Compassion Fatigue among Mental Health Practitioners.

Abstract

MHPs are exposed to the emotional and psychological suffering of their clients on a daily basis, which can take a toll on their own well-being. This study examines the significance of various socio-demographic factors-such as marital status, years of experience, work sector, socio-economic status, and type of MHP-on compassion fatigue, resilience, and coping strategies of MHPs in India. Burnout was found to be higher among single MHPs, while MHPs living with their loved ones demonstrated higher levels of compassion satisfaction and resilience. MPhil & doctoral-level practitioners reported higher levels of secondary traumatic stress, while master's-level practitioners exhibited higher levels of avoidant coping. Job satisfaction was positively correlated with compassion satisfaction and resilience and negatively correlated with burnout and secondary traumatic stress. No significant differences were found based on years of experience or working hours per day. The findings highlight the complex interplay of sociodemographic variables among MHPs.