Work

Healthcare's empathy in elderly care: How anxiety, depression, and professional quality of life influence empathic abilities

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • The attitude of the healthcare professionals that attends and cares for the elderly plays a special and determining role in the quality of care. • In this care relationship, humanization and empathy are necessary to implement a person-centred practice, considering the patient as a unique person, and treating symptoms and diseases in the context of the life course. • Provide a comprehensive view of the factors influencing empathy and emotional well-being of health professionals is an essential aspect of good health care, significantly influencing health outcomes and the experience of the person receiving care. The objective of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between empathy, anxiety, depression, compassion satisfaction, and fatigue in healthcare professionals working in elderly care centers. A sample of 104 healthcare professionals from nursing homes in Spain completed questionnaires assessing empathic skills, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The results showed high levels of empathy and compassion satisfaction among participants and significant relationships between empathic skills, anxiety, depression, and quality of life measures. The regression analysis identified interpersonal reactivity, depression, compassion satisfaction, fatigue, and years of experience as significant predictors of empathy in the clinical context. Empathy is of paramount importance in the field of geriatric care, with enhanced empathic abilities exerting a beneficial influence on professional practice. However, the presence of depressive symptoms may hinder empathic abilities and affect the quality of care. Compassion satisfaction emerged as a significant predictor of empathy, highlighting the importance of emotional support and communication skills training in healthcare settings.

Source: Geriatric Nursing

DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.01.033