The impact of compassion fatigue and work-life balance on life satisfaction: A study of healthcare professionals in Türkiye

BackgroundHealthcare professionals are frequently exposed to intense emotional demands that may lead to compassion fatigue. Challenges in maintaining work-life balance also play a significant role in shaping life satisfaction. Yet, studies examining their combined effects on healthcare professionals' life satisfaction remain limited.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the impact of compassion fatigue and work-life balance on the life satisfaction of healthcare professionals.MethodsThis cross-sectional quantitative study collected data from 301 healthcare workers at Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Hospital in Türkiye, using validated psychometric scales. Analyses included reliability testing, normality assessment, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.ResultsChanges in life satisfaction were 11% attributable to compassion fatigue (R² = 0.115). The occupational burnout subdimension negatively affected life satisfaction (ß = -0.363; t = -4.060; p < 0.001), with each unit increase resulting in a 0.175-point decrease in life satisfaction. Nine percent of the variation in life satisfaction (R² = 0.099) was explained by the positive impact of work on life (ß = 0.190; t = 2.739; p = 0.007) and the positive impact of life on work (ß = 0.155; t = 2.377; p = 0.018). However, the negative impact of work on life caused a 0.132-point reduction in life satisfaction (ß = -0.151; t = -2.385; p = 0.018). Overall, compassion fatigue and work-life balance together explained 12% of the variation in life satisfaction (R² = 0.125; F = 21.332; p < 0.001).ConclusionFindings underscore the importance of alleviating emotional burden and implementing institutional policies that support work-life balance to enhance healthcare professionals' life satisfaction. However, because this study was conducted in a single hospital and employed a convenience sampling method, generalizability of the results is limited.