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Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India

Year 2026, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 42 - 48, 31.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1671119

Abstract

References

  • Sengar M, Fundytus A, Hopman WM, et al. Medical oncology in India: workload, infrastructure, and delivery of care. Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2019;40:121-7.
  • Chintapally N, Nuwayhid M, Arroju V, et al. State of cancer care in India and opportunities for innovation. Future Oncol 2023;19:2593-2606.
  • Saikia D. Nursing shortages in the rural public health sector of India. J Popul Soc Stud 2018;26:101-18.
  • Doka KJ. Disenfranchised grief. Bereave Care 1999;18:37-9.
  • Granek L, Ariad S, Nakash O, et al. Mixed-methods study of the impact of chronic patient death on oncologist healthcare professionals’ personal and professional lives. J Oncol Pract. 2017;13.
  • Joinson C. Coping with compassion fatigue. Nurs. 1992;22:116-8.
  • American Psychological Association. Guidelines for prevention in psychology. Am Psychol. 2014;69:285-96.
  • Figley CR. Compassion fatigue: Toward a new understanding of the costs of caring. In: Stamm BH, editor. Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators. Baltimore: The Sidran Press; 1995. p.3-28.
  • Weiss DS. The impact of event scale: revised. In: Wilson JP, Tang CS, editors. Cross-cultural assessment of psychological trauma and PTSD. Boston (MA): Springer US; 2007. p.219-38.
  • Smith BW, Dalen J, Wiggins K, et al. The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med. 2008;15:194-200.
  • Kline RB. Convergence of structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling. In: Williams M, Vogt WP, editors. The SAGE Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods. London: Sage Publications; 2011. p.562-89.
  • Romesberg TL. Understanding grief: A component of neonatal palliative care. J Hosp Palliat Nurs 2004;6:161-70.
  • McManimon K. Hospital staff and bereavement services: Examining compassion fatigue in nurses [dissertation]. Minneapolis (MN): Walden University; 2014.
  • Laor-Maayany R, Goldzweig G, Hasson-Ohayon I, et al. Compassion fatigue among oncologist healthcare professionals: the role of grief, sense of failure, and exposure to suffering and death. Support Care Cancer. 2020;28:2025-31.
  • Kissane DW. The relief of existential suffering. Arch Intern Med 2012;172(19):1501-5.
  • Peters L, Cant R, Payne S, et al. How death anxiety impacts nurses’ caring for patients at the end of life: A review of literature. Open Nurs J. 2013;7:14-21.
  • Labrague LJ. Psychological resilience, coping behaviours and social support among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of quantitative studies. J Nurs Manag. 2021;29:1893-905.
  • Pollock AM, Clements L, Harding-Edgar L. Covid-19: why we need a national health and social care service. BMJ. 2020;369.
  • Zhang Y, Zhang C, Han X, et al. Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between compassion fatigue and job performance among nurses. J Adv Nurs. 2018;74(11):2514-22.
  • Bozgeyikli H. Self-efficacy as a predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout, compassion fatigue: A study on psychological counselors. Afr J Bus Manag. 2012;6(2):646-54.
  • Wu L, Chen S, Tang S. Relationship between resilience and mental health among COVID-19 bereaved people: The mediating role of dual process coping. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2025;15:20451253251328607.
  • Burnett HJ Jr, Wahl K. The compassion fatigue and resilience connection: A survey of resilience, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among trauma responders. Int J Emerg Ment Health. 2015;17:318-26.
  • David DP. Resilience as a protective factor against compassion fatigue in trauma therapists [dissertation]. Minneapolis (MN): Walden University; 2012.
  • Cooke GP, Doust JA, Steele MC. A survey of resilience, burnout, and tolerance of uncertainty in Australian general practice registrars. BMC Med Educ. 2013;13:2.

Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India

Year 2026, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 42 - 48, 31.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1671119

Abstract

Introduction: The taxing nature of the work of the oncologist healthcare professionals takes a toll on their mental health. They experience disenfranchised grief and compassion fatigue which is detrimental to the emotional well-being of oncology healthcare professionals. Dealing with emotionally demanding work requires resilience.
Materials and Methods: This study investigates the relationship between disenfranchised grief, compassion fatigue, and resilience among oncology healthcare professionals as well as the influence of disenfranchised grief and compassion fatigue on resilience. The data was collected through Google Forms and circulated online from 362 participants. All participants were rated on the Compassion Fatigue Self-test, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and Brief Resilience Scale.
Results: Disenfranchised grief and compassion fatigue were significantly and positively correlated (p<0.05). A significant negative relationship exists between disenfranchised grief and resilience and a significant negative correlation was observed between compassion fatigue and resilience (p<0.05). Further, it was found that 14% of the variance in compassion fatigue is attributed to resilience (p<0.05) while disenfranchised grief had no significant predictive role on resilience.
Conclusion: It becomes imperative for healthcare institutions to identify and address the emotional distress of oncology healthcare professionals to enhance their overall well-being, enrich the support systems, and develop interventions to mitigate compassion fatigue and foster resilience.

Thanks

Thanking all the participants who agreed to participate in the research study

References

  • Sengar M, Fundytus A, Hopman WM, et al. Medical oncology in India: workload, infrastructure, and delivery of care. Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2019;40:121-7.
  • Chintapally N, Nuwayhid M, Arroju V, et al. State of cancer care in India and opportunities for innovation. Future Oncol 2023;19:2593-2606.
  • Saikia D. Nursing shortages in the rural public health sector of India. J Popul Soc Stud 2018;26:101-18.
  • Doka KJ. Disenfranchised grief. Bereave Care 1999;18:37-9.
  • Granek L, Ariad S, Nakash O, et al. Mixed-methods study of the impact of chronic patient death on oncologist healthcare professionals’ personal and professional lives. J Oncol Pract. 2017;13.
  • Joinson C. Coping with compassion fatigue. Nurs. 1992;22:116-8.
  • American Psychological Association. Guidelines for prevention in psychology. Am Psychol. 2014;69:285-96.
  • Figley CR. Compassion fatigue: Toward a new understanding of the costs of caring. In: Stamm BH, editor. Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators. Baltimore: The Sidran Press; 1995. p.3-28.
  • Weiss DS. The impact of event scale: revised. In: Wilson JP, Tang CS, editors. Cross-cultural assessment of psychological trauma and PTSD. Boston (MA): Springer US; 2007. p.219-38.
  • Smith BW, Dalen J, Wiggins K, et al. The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. Int J Behav Med. 2008;15:194-200.
  • Kline RB. Convergence of structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling. In: Williams M, Vogt WP, editors. The SAGE Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods. London: Sage Publications; 2011. p.562-89.
  • Romesberg TL. Understanding grief: A component of neonatal palliative care. J Hosp Palliat Nurs 2004;6:161-70.
  • McManimon K. Hospital staff and bereavement services: Examining compassion fatigue in nurses [dissertation]. Minneapolis (MN): Walden University; 2014.
  • Laor-Maayany R, Goldzweig G, Hasson-Ohayon I, et al. Compassion fatigue among oncologist healthcare professionals: the role of grief, sense of failure, and exposure to suffering and death. Support Care Cancer. 2020;28:2025-31.
  • Kissane DW. The relief of existential suffering. Arch Intern Med 2012;172(19):1501-5.
  • Peters L, Cant R, Payne S, et al. How death anxiety impacts nurses’ caring for patients at the end of life: A review of literature. Open Nurs J. 2013;7:14-21.
  • Labrague LJ. Psychological resilience, coping behaviours and social support among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of quantitative studies. J Nurs Manag. 2021;29:1893-905.
  • Pollock AM, Clements L, Harding-Edgar L. Covid-19: why we need a national health and social care service. BMJ. 2020;369.
  • Zhang Y, Zhang C, Han X, et al. Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between compassion fatigue and job performance among nurses. J Adv Nurs. 2018;74(11):2514-22.
  • Bozgeyikli H. Self-efficacy as a predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout, compassion fatigue: A study on psychological counselors. Afr J Bus Manag. 2012;6(2):646-54.
  • Wu L, Chen S, Tang S. Relationship between resilience and mental health among COVID-19 bereaved people: The mediating role of dual process coping. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2025;15:20451253251328607.
  • Burnett HJ Jr, Wahl K. The compassion fatigue and resilience connection: A survey of resilience, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among trauma responders. Int J Emerg Ment Health. 2015;17:318-26.
  • David DP. Resilience as a protective factor against compassion fatigue in trauma therapists [dissertation]. Minneapolis (MN): Walden University; 2012.
  • Cooke GP, Doust JA, Steele MC. A survey of resilience, burnout, and tolerance of uncertainty in Australian general practice registrars. BMC Med Educ. 2013;13:2.
There are 24 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Health Care Administration
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Anveshika Chauhan 0009-0001-3030-8220

Amal Tom Jose 0000-0002-3654-8292

Jovita Sherin George 0000-0002-1005-3056

Submission Date April 7, 2025
Acceptance Date September 27, 2025
Publication Date January 31, 2026
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 10 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Chauhan, A., Jose, A. T., & George, J. S. (2026). Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences, 10(1), 42-48. https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1671119
AMA 1.Chauhan A, Jose AT, George JS. Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India. JBACHS. 2026;10(1):42-48. doi:10.30621/jbachs.1671119
Chicago Chauhan, Anveshika, Amal Tom Jose, and Jovita Sherin George. 2026. “Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India”. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences 10 (1): 42-48. https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1671119.
EndNote Chauhan A, Jose AT, George JS (January 1, 2026) Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences 10 1 42–48.
IEEE [1]A. Chauhan, A. T. Jose, and J. S. George, “Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India”, JBACHS, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 42–48, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.30621/jbachs.1671119.
ISNAD Chauhan, Anveshika - Jose, Amal Tom - George, Jovita Sherin. “Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India”. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences 10/1 (January 1, 2026): 42-48. https://doi.org/10.30621/jbachs.1671119.
JAMA 1.Chauhan A, Jose AT, George JS. Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India. JBACHS. 2026;10:42–48.
MLA Chauhan, Anveshika, et al. “Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India”. Journal of Basic and Clinical Health Sciences, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 42-48, doi:10.30621/jbachs.1671119.
Vancouver 1.Chauhan A, Jose AT, George JS. Disenfranchised Grief, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience among Oncology Healthcare Professionals in India. JBACHS [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 1;10(1):42-8. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA62TK54NW