Caring for care workers: Why surveying for burnout and compassion fatigue is not the solution : a systematic literature review

Abstract

Caregivers around the world work in extreme emotional conditions which cause traumatic stress on individuals. This repetitive and somewhat abusive environment may lead to burnout (BO) and/or compassion fatigue (CF). Conditions that cripple caregivers from giving their best work in times of urgent need. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been studied to assess their benefit to offsetting such detrimental conditions as BO and CF. In this thesis, a systematic literature review methodology was used to collect articles published based on the context of assessing whether or not MBIs are proven to be beneficial to caregiving communities of practice. Through thematic analysis and customizing a code to decipher the collected articles, a few conclusions can be made. One is that more time is needed while studying MBIs and their effect. A longitudinal timeline is beneficial in qualitative research practices. The second conclusion is on several accounts of focus groups that revealed previous trauma in their personal life. Thus proving the individuals of concern to be more susceptible to BO and CF in their work life. A third conclusion, following the theme of the second, is a call to action for future research regarding MBIs to understand the intersectionality of mental health in the workplace as it relates to treatment programs under the theme MBI practices.