Comparison in the rise of Compassion Fatigue and Stress Levels for Male and Female COVID Caregivers

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on everyone’s health, particularly the vulnerable populations. One such group is that of informal caregivers. The onset of the pandemic has led to many individuals assuming COVID caregiving responsibilities within their homes. They often already suffer from psychological and physical distress which has risen immensely during the pandemic. The research seeks to examine the rise in the level of Compassion Fatigue and Stress for these COVID caregivers and if their gender has had an impact on the same. In the context of this study, compassion fatigue refers to the condition of emotional and physical exhaustion experienced as a result of helping or wanting to help individuals experiencing trauma (in the case of the pandemic, people suffering from COVID-19). Constant exposure to such trauma can lead to a severely diminished ability to empathize and feel compassion. Eight COVID caregivers, including four males and four female, were interviewed and their responses have been analyzed within this paper. These caregivers are either salaried employees or self-employed professionals.