Work stress and professional quality of life in disability support workers: The mediating role of psychological flexibility.

Background: This study aimed to explore perceived work stress and its association with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction and the mediating effect of psychological flexibility on these relationships.

Method: Two hundred and fifty-one disability support workers across Australia reported on work stress, psychological flexibility, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction through an online anonymous survey.

Results: Perceived work stress was found to have a significant relationship with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. Psychological flexibility had a significant mediating effect on all three relationships.

Conclusion: These results highlight the role that psychological flexibility has in response to work stress and the development of burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction in disability support workers.