| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between attitudes towards aging, psychological state and empathy among care and nursing institutions' staff members. Little research has investigated the contextual stress factors of care and nursing institutions, the significance of attitudes and empathy for such institutions‘ staff psychological state. The sample consisted of 103 staff members of various Vilnius city and region care and nursing institutions: 11 men and 92 women, most participants were 41 – 50 years old. An anonymous survey was used in this study. The questionnaire consisted of 3 scales - Questionnaire about negative stereotypes, Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, DASS-21 scale and demographic questions about gender, age, education, marital status, profession. The study examined correlations, prognostic and mediation relationships, moderators of the relationships, compared groups. The results of the study revealed that a more negative attitude towards aging and lower empathy for clients predicted greater psychological disturbances among care and nursing staff. Employees’ negative attitude towards aging also predicted lower empathy which predicted psychological state disturbances. Employees’ cognitive empathy was more important for their good psychological state than affective empathy. Secondary or special education employees had a more negative attitude towards aging and lower empathy for clients than employees with university education. 21 – 30 year old employees' attitudes towards aging didn‘t predict their psychological state, while among 41 - 50 year olds the prediction was the strongest. The empathy for clients predicted psychological state of every profession employee, but among social workers this prediction was the strongest. |
