Through the eyes of healthcare professionals: Compassion fatigue and earthquake stress coping strategies of healthcare professionals in the disaster region following the Kahramanmaras centered earthquakes: A case-control study

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals serving in the earthquake zone may experience mental problems due to the traumatic events they witnessed.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of working in earthquake-affected areas on compassion fatigue and coping strategies for earthquake stress in healthcare professionals compared to a control group.

Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted in three provinces in the northern region of Türkiye. The sample of the study consisted of 146 healthcare professionals working in earthquake-affected regions and 143 healthcare professionals not working in earthquake-affected regions. Data were collected using the 'Descriptive Information Form', 'Compassion Fatigue Short Scale (CF-SS)', and 'Coping with Earthquake Stress Scale (CESS)'. Descriptive statistics, t-test for independent samples, Pearson correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: Statistically significant differences were found between healthcare professionals working in earthquake-affected regions and healthcare professionals not working in these regions in terms of CF-SS total scores, 'occupational burnout' sub-dimension mean scores and 'seeking social support' mean scores among CESS sub-dimension mean scores (p < .05). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the mean scores of 'secondary trauma' sub-dimension of CF-SS and total-CESS, 'religious coping', and 'positive reappraisal' (p > .05). A high and positive correlation (r = .805; r = .847; r = .847; r = .695, p < .001) was found between total CF-SS scores and total religious coping, positive reappraisal and seeking social support scores of the participants. In addition, working in the earthquake zone negatively affects positive reappraisal and positively affects seeking social support as a significant predictor (β = .081, OR = 0.922, p < .05; β = .111, OR = 1.117, p < .05).

Conclusion: A significant positive relationship was observed between compassion fatigue and coping with earthquake stress. At the same time, it was determined that having worked in the regions affected by earthquakes had a strong positive effect on coping strategies with earthquake stress.