Professionalization Of Empathy And Predictors Of Helping Professionals’ Burnout

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Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of empathy in connection with the severity of symptoms of burnout among nurses. To assess empathy we used Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) by M. Davis, to measure burnout level — Maslach Burnout Test (MBT). As a result of the regression analysis of the data, the main hypothesis of the study was confirmed: it is the level of personal distress as a phenomenon of empathy dysregulation that contributes to the development of symptoms of helping professionals’ burnout. “Positive” empathic processes (perspective taking, fantasy and empathic concern) could serve as a means of burnout prevention. Personal distress is seen in its relationship with alexithymia (measured by Toronto Alexithymia Scale TAS-20-R) and psychological mindedness (propensity to psychological thinking, measured by Psychological Mindedness Scale by H. Conte) as the characteris- tics that reflect emotional regulation and coping strategies. The work experience of nurses did not act as a predictor of burnout indicators. This article was prepared with the financial support of the Russian Foundation of Hu- manities (project № 15-26-01007) and Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research (project №Г15Р-028), international project “Empathy development in socionomic (“helping”) professions”.

General Information

Keywords: empathy, IRI test, perspective taking, fantasy, empathic concern, personal distress, empathy regulation, professional burnout, alexithymia, psychological mindedness

Journal rubric: Empirical Researches

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2017250203

For citation: Karyagina T.D., Kukhtova N., Olifirovich N.I., Shermazanyan L.G. Professionalization Of Empathy And Predictors Of Helping Professionals’ Burnout. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2017. Vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 39–58. DOI: 10.17759/cpp.2017250203. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Tatyana D. Karyagina, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Faculty of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, online-school "Psychodemia", Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1999-0839, e-mail: kartan18@gmail.com

Natalia Kukhtova, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of Chair of Practical Psychology, Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov, e-mail: zvetok@tut.by

N. I. Olifirovich, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor, Chair of Developmental and Educational Psychology, M. Tank Belarus State Pedagogical University, e-mail: olivka.psy@rambler.ru

Lilit G. Shermazanyan, Senior Lecturer, Chair of Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, e-mail: lshg@yandex.ru

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