Buffering the Effects of Burnout on Healthcare Professionals’ Health—The Mediating Role of Compassionate Relationships at Work in the COVID Era

Ilaria Buonomo, Paolo Emilio Santoro, Paula Benevene, Ivan Borrelli, Giacomo Angelini, Caterina Fiorilli, Maria Rosaria Gualano and Umberto Moscato
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Ilaria Buonomo: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
Paolo Emilio Santoro: Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Paula Benevene: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
Ivan Borrelli: Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Giacomo Angelini: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
Caterina Fiorilli: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
Maria Rosaria Gualano: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Umberto Moscato: Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Managing the COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges for healthcare professionals, which likely heightened their risk of burnout (Amanullah and Ramesh Shankar, 2020) and, consequently, their general physical and mental health. Although it may not be possible to address and eliminate the causes of burnout, current research informs healthcare organizations about protective strategies to reduce its detrimental consequences. The promotion of compassionate interactions among healthcare professionals may play such a role. Compassion within healthcare organizations positively affects individual performance and well-being. Building on these considerations and within the framework of the Conservation of Resources theory, this study explores the relationships among burnout dimensions, received compassion at work, and general health in 711 Italian healthcare professionals (68.5% female), aged between 21 and 73 years (M age = 36.4, SD = 11.2). Analyses were conducted to investigate the association between burnout and general well-being (H1) and between burnout symptoms and perceived compassion at work (H2); and the mediational role of compassion in the relationship between burnout symptoms and general well-being. H1 and H2 were confirmed ( r < 0.01 for both), and a SEM model showed the mediating role of compassion at work in the association between burnout symptoms and general well-being (RMSEA < 0.08, SRMR < 0.08, CFI and TLI > 0.90). Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the paper.

Keywords: healthcare workers; compassion at work; burnout; COR theory; occupational medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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