Fadiga por Compaixão em Profissionais de Saúde e Cuidadores de Doentes com Demência: Uma Scoping Review

Abstract

The demographic phenomenon of population aging affects numerous countries worldwide, and Portugal is no exception to this shift (Guerra, M. S., et al. 2022). As a result of this aging phenomenon, society faces an increase in life expectancy, leading to a rise in chronic diseases, including the number of dementia cases. In Portugal, the number of individuals with dementia is expected to more than double by 2050 (Alzheimer Europe Report, 2019). This health condition involves multidomain modifications - cognitive, behavioural, communicational, and interactional. These alterations compromise autonomy and increase the level of dependency, necessitating formal or informal support with the involvement of a caregiver (Sequeira, 2020). Caregivers constantly face new situations of physical, psychological, and social overload, capable of triggering changes in the quality of life (Garre-Olmo et al., 2000). Healthcare professionals are also exposed to suffering and burden, requiring a significant amount of physical and emotional energy, occasionally leading to compassion fatigue (Thomson, 2003). My interest in the subject arises from my professional context, observing the difficulties faced by professionals and caregivers in the care of dementia patients such as psychological exhaustion. Therefore, the preliminary research question is: "What is the impact of compassion fatigue on the healthcare professionals and caregivers of dementia patients and, on the quality of care provided?". This question will be addressed through a Scoping Review. The objectives of this research include mapping existing literature on compassion fatigue in healthcare professionals and caregivers of dementia patients and its impact on the care provided. Furthermore, the aims of this review are: to identify articles addressing the prevalence of compassion fatigue in healthcare professionals and caregivers of dementia patients; assess the risk factors associated with compassion fatigue in these specific groups; investigate the consequences of compassion fatigue on the quality of care provided; analysing the strategies and interventions proposed in the literature to prevent compassion fatigue in healthcare professionals and caregivers; comparing experiences of compassion fatigue between healthcare professionals and caregivers; suggesting practical recommendations based on the results of the scoping review to guide future interventions and support practices. The study population consists of patients with dementia. Articles published in Portuguese and English will be included without time limitation, systematic literature reviews and quantitative and qualitative studies conducted on healthcare professionals and caregivers of dementia patients will also be included. The research will be conducted on the following databases: PUBMED ®, ISI Web of Knowledge ®, EBSCO ®, and Scopus ®. The keywords employed will be: "compassion fatigue", "healthcare professionals", "caregivers" and "dementia". After the initial research phase, as outlined above, articles will be reviewed by two researchers. Initially, through the examination of titles and abstracts, followed by a comprehensive reading. Data extraction will include sample characteristics, methods employed, results, and main conclusions. The results will be synthesized and presented in tables, as well as through a descriptive narrative of the key data.