2025/11/27 by Evaristo Barrera-Algarín, Ana Vallejo-Andrada, Rocío Martínez-Fernández +1
Health Professions · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout #Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions #Social Work Education and Practice
paper · doi:10.1177/00208728251390040
crossref issued 2025/11/27 · crossref published 2025/11/27 · crossref published-online 2025/11/27 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/27 · crossref created 2025/11/27 · openalex created_date 2025/11/28 · crossref published-print 2026/07/01 · crossref deposited 2026/07/31 · crossref indexed 2026/07/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This study examines the relationship between Empathy Fatigue Syndrome, professional experience and institutional context among 269 social workers in Seville, Spain. Using the Empathy Fatigue Inventory, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability tests, frequency studies, contingency tables, Pearson’s correlations, linear regressions and ANOVA, findings reveal that less experienced social workers are more vulnerable to compassion fatigue, especially within their initial years. Moreover, higher compassion fatigue levels are observed in public institutions compared to private ones. The research advocates for emotional intelligence training and underscores the necessity for systemic support to improve well-being and professional efficacy in social work practice.