Associations between compassion fatigue and suicidality among healthcare workers in the United States

BACKGROUND: The psychological well-being of healthcare workers affects not only their own health but also patient care quality, making it critical to examine the mental health needs of the healthcare workforce. While compassion fatigue (i.e., depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and career dissatisfaction) and suicidality have been studied separately among healthcare workers, their relationship with each other remains understudied. This study investigates the associations between compassion fatigue and past-year suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, and suicide attempts among a diverse sample of healthcare workers. METHODS: We collected cross-sectional data from a sample of U.S. healthcare workers (N = 200). Logistic regression models examined relationships between compassion fatigue and past-year suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts, separately. Final models controlled for gender and occupational setting (hospital vs. other). RESULTS: Suicidality was prevalent: 14 % of participants reported past-year suicidal thoughts, 6.0 % reported suicide planning, and 3.5 % reported a suicide attempt. Greater compassion fatigue was significantly associated with increased odds of past-year suicidal thoughts (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.04, 1.16), suicide planning (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.19), and suicide attempts (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.21). After controlling for gender and occupational setting, these associations remained significant for suicidal thoughts (aOR = 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.04, 1.16), suicide planning (aOR = 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.19), and suicide attempts (aOR = 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that higher compassion fatigue is linked to increased suicidality among healthcare workers, highlighting the need to address compassion fatigue as a potential risk factor.