The role of self-care and self-compassion in networks of resilience and stress among healthcare professionals
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Authors
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are essential for maintaining our healthcare system but are at risk for developing mental health issues due to chronic occupational stress. This can lead to a vicious cycle with extended sick leave, increased workloads for colleagues, and strain on the healthcare system. Therefore, preventive interventions aiming at enhancing resilience - the maintenance of mental health despite stress - are essential. Yet, identifying the most impactful resilience factors has been challenging. To explore the relationships between resilience factors, stress, mental health, and work-related outcomes, we conducted regularized partial correlation network analyses focusing on self-care and self-compassion. Cross-sectional data from HCPs in Germany were collected from June-July 2023. Analyses of 212 HCPs (age 41.63 [21–68] years; 81.60% women) revealed self-compassion as the most important factor across all networks, while the importance of self-care showed through individual connections to crucial factors like mental health problems and work-life balance. Work engagement, contrary to burnout, was closely interrelated with resilience factors. In conclusion, despite accounting for established evidence-based resilience factors, self-compassion and self-care seem crucial in the context of stress and mental health in HCPs. More research is needed to validate the causal importance of self-care and self-compassion.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 18545 |
Journal | Scientific Reports |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 1 |
ISSN | 2045-2322 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 12.2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.
- SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Sustainable Development Goals
- Burnout, Healthcare professionals, Network models, Resilience, Self-Care, Self-Compassion
- Psychology
Research areas
- General