Work-Specific Characteristics and Their Roles in Guidance Counselors' Compassion Satisfaction, and Compassion Fatigue: A Structural Equation Model

This study examined the influence of work-specific characteristics on the emotional well-being of guidance counselors, particularly compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, within the context of increasing mental health demands in educational settings in Mindanao. The study aimed to analyze the effects of empathic understanding, genuineness, non-judgmental attitude, interpersonal skills, and self-compassion on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, involving 119 licensed guidance counselors selected through a proportionate stratified sampling procedure. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire and the ProQOL v5, with established validity and reliability. Analyses included descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, ANOVA, and SEM. Interpersonal skills and genuineness significantly and positively predicted compassion satisfaction, while a non-judgmental attitude negatively predicted it. No work-specific characteristics significantly predicted compassion fatigue. Mediation and interaction analyses indicated that compassion fatigue neither mediated nor moderated the relationships among variables. Burnout significantly and negatively predicted compassion satisfaction, whereas secondary traumatic stress was non-significant. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) further revealed that work-specific characteristics exert a strong, significant direct effect on compassion satisfaction (β = 1.219, p < .001), making it the primary predictor in the model. In contrast, compassion fatigue did not significantly predict compassion satisfaction nor influence work-specific characteristics, indicating no structural or mediating role within the model. Work-specific characteristics primarily enhance professional fulfillment rather than reduce fatigue, which appears influenced by external factors. While guidance counselors report high satisfaction, moderate fatigue highlights the need for institutional support. The inadequate model fit underscores the need for more comprehensive frameworks integrating both individual and contextual determinants of guidance counselor well-being.

Work-Specific Characteristics, Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, Guidance Counselors, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

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