The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Compassion Satisfaction in Healthcare Personnel: A Systematic Review of the Literature Published during the First Year of the Pandemic

Abstract

[eng] This literature review aimed to determine the level of burnout, compassion fatigue, andcompassion satisfaction, as well as their associated risks and protective factors, in healthcare pro-fessionals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed 2858 records obtainedfrom the CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases,and finally included 76 in this review. The main results we found showed an increase in the rate ofburnout, dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and compassion fatigue; a reduc-tion in personal accomplishment; and levels of compassion satisfaction similar to those before thepandemic. The main risk factors associated with burnout were anxiety, depression, and insomnia,along with some sociodemographic variables such as being a woman or a nurse or working directlywith COVID-19 patients. Comparable results were found for compassion fatigue, but informationregarding compassion satisfaction was lacking. The main protective factors were resilience andsocial support.