Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Psychological Flexibility among Healthcare Workers: Emotional Strain in Sarawak Tertiary Hospitals

Ling Choo Chiew; Yoke Yong Chen; Mohamad Adam Bujang; Keng Sheng Chew; Md Mizanur Rahman; Rekaya Vincent Balang; Siok Ping Voon; Raveca Ak Ridi

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI33.7085

Authors

Ling Choo Chiew Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Yoke Yong Chen Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Mohamad Adam Bujang Sarawak General Hospital, Institute for Clinical Research (ICR), Ministry of Health, Malaysia
Keng Sheng Chew Department of Surgery (Emergency Medicine), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Md Mizanur Rahman Department of Community Medicine and Public Health (Epidemiology & Statistics), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Rekaya Vincent Balang Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Siok Ping Voon Department of Psychology, Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia
Raveca Ak Ridi Unit Psychology Counselling, Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI33.7085

Keywords:

Compassion fatigue, burnout, psychological flexibility, healthcare worker, Psychological Capital

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between Compassion Fatigue (CF), Burnout (BO), and Psychological-Flexibility (PF) among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in Sarawak government hospitals. Results showed that 45.7% of HCWs experienced CF, while 52.4% reported personal burnout (PB), 17.8% work-related burnout (WB), and 10.9% client-related burnout (CB). The mean PF score was 81.7 (SD = 16.3). Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between gender and CF (p < .001), marital status and PB (p = .046), then work-position and CB (p = .025), suggesting that sociodemographic factors significantly influence occupational stress. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions support HCWs well-being.

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