Do Worry, Be Happy: Empathy and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Professional Quality of Life in Child-Protection Workers.

Abstract

Purpose: Empathy is paramount to good social work practice. Concurrently, "professional distance" and limited empathetic involvement are sometimes believed to protect social workers from detrimental psychological outcomes. However, distinct dimensions of empathy may relate differently to relevant outcomes such as professional quality of life (i.e. compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue). Our first objective was to investigate this relationship in child-protection workers (CPWs) - a population among the most affected by compassion fatigue. Second, we controlled for emotion regulation difficulties, which may also explain individual reactions to distress.

Materials and methods: A convenience sample of French CPWs (N = 245) answered an online questionnaire assessing cognitive (i.e. Perspective-Taking) and emotional (i.e. Empathic Concern and Personal Distress) dimensions of empathy, emotion regulation difficulties and professional quality of life.

Results: Ordinary least squares multiple regression models indicate that Empathic Concern positively predicts compassion satisfaction and negatively predicts compassion fatigue. The opposite pattern is observed with both Personal Distress and emotion regulation difficulties.

Discussion: Polarized representations of empathy in child-protection lose sight of its benefits and conceal its pitfalls. Being concerned for clients may not only be a protective factor against compassion fatigue - it could be at the heart of CPWs' compassion satisfaction. Conversely, self-directed reactions to distress may be the root of the harmful consequences empathy is questioned for. Our nuanced approach clarifies what future interventions should target to foster a better professional quality of life in CPWs. Beyond individual capabilities, improving CPWs' outcomes should also rely on a culture of support from peers, supervisors and organizations.