Compassion Fatigue Among Family Caregivers of Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

Caring for schizophrenic patients can cause long-term family caregivers to experience suffering and compassion fatigue (CF). However, the manifestations of CF among family caregivers of schizophrenic patients are unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore manifestations of CF among family caregivers of schizophrenic patients. In this study, grounded theory was used, and purposive and theoretical sampling was employed to recruit participants. Data were collected from 29 family caregivers through in-depth interviews and field notes. Constant and comparative methods were used to analyze data. The study revealed that participants had experienced several manifestations of CF, including stress, physical and mental exhaustion, disheartenment, anxiety and uncertainty, difficulty sleeping, a feeling of endless hard work, and a strong bonding with the patient. Compassion fatigue among family caregivers is a major concern impacting their ability to care for and aid schizophrenic patients. These findings can alert mental health professionals, including mental health nurses, to improve awareness and understanding of CF experienced by family caregivers. Mental health professionals can use these findings to develop plans to assist family caregivers of schizophrenic patients in alleviating manifestations of CF among these caregivers.