Predictors of burnout and secondary traumatic stress in medical oncologists: the role of empathy and dispositional mindfulness

BACKGROUND: Medical oncologists are required to make rapid and critical decisions between life and death throughout their careers. This high-pressure environment necessitates the investigation of burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) among medical oncologists. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of empathy components and dispositional mindfulness on burnout and STS in medical oncologists. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 medical oncologists who were actively employed. Participants completed a sociodemographic form, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to identify the parameters influencing burnout and STS, while mediation analyses explored the relationships between key factors. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 26.3% of medical oncologists experienced burnout, while 27.6% reported high levels of STS. STS was not significantly associated with demographic variables, whereas burnout showed a decreasing trend with age and professional experience. Among the empathy components, personal distress and empathic concern accounted for 27% of the variance in STS. Also Personal Distress and dispositional mindfulness and experience accounted for 18.4% of the variance in burnout. Mediation analyses further demonstrated that dispositional mindfulness played a protective role in the relationship between personal distress and burnout. CONCLUSION: This study underscores that empathy, depending on its components, can act as both a protective and risk factor for compassion fatigue. Dispositional mindfulness emerged as a significant protective factor against burnout. Interventions to enhance mindfulness may help reduce burnout among medical oncologists, contributing to their overall well-being.