A Descriptive Study on Compassion Fatigue among Caregivers in Gapan City District Hospital

Abstract

Compassion fatigue is a natural consequent of behaviors that include depletion on overall well-being specifically on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects often associated with patient caregiving. This study explored the concept of compassion fatigue among caregivers in Gapan City District Hospital using a sequential-explanatory mixed methods design. A series of survey interviews followed by key-informant interviews were conducted to fulfill the data needed for this study specifically the nature, prevalence and perceived effects of compassion fatigue among the caregivers. A total of 50 caregivers in Gapan City District Hospital were sampled purposively. Majority of the respondents were married females and on the young to middle adulthood phase aged 21-45 years old. All respondents were affiliated to any of the religious sects such as Roman Catholicism, Iglesia ni Cristo, Born Again Christian, and Protestantism respectively. Religion had also been found as the number one coping strategy of the respondents in the form of prayers and church visits. Results showed that, respondents had low to moderate levels of compassion fatigue. Most of the participants often experience depletion on their physical health followed by the emotional and social aspects of being. Economic constraints as well as insufficient government efforts and hospital services are the overarching problems majority of the respondents had experienced. Qualitative interviews had shown the great value and love rural people and Filipinos in general put into their family members especially the sick that they consider the symptoms of compassion fatigue as not hindrances to extend care for their loved ones. Perceived effects of compassion fatigue deemed to have negative consequences to the cared individual, however, deep empathy and motivational factors had lessened the severity of compassion fatigue and had prevented its adverse effects.