Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue, Emotional Dissonance, and Burnout in Therapists in Rehabilitation Hospitals

Abstract

This study was an examination of the relationship between emotional dissonance and burnout among therapists working in rehabilitation hospitals. The mediating effects of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue were verified through structural equation modeling. The participants were 204 therapists working at rehabilitation hospitals located in a metropolitan area, and they completed the Emotional Dissonance Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. The results are as follows. First, emotional dissonance, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue had significant correlations with burnout. Second, mediating effects of compassion satisfaction/fatigue were found in the relationship between emotional dissonance and burnout. Consequently, emotional dissonance had both direct and indirect effects on burnout. Lastly, this study’s implications, limitations and suggestions for future study are presented.