Preventing compassion fatigue through culturally-rooted coping: insights from Indonesian school counsellors in underserved settings

Objectives This study aimed to explore the experience of compassion fatigue in junior and senior high school counsellors serving in Indonesia's 3T regions, an acronym for Terdepan (frontier), Terluar (outermost), and Tertinggal (disadvantaged) which refers to areas with limited service access, geographic isolation, and structural inequality. The study also identified multilevel coping strategies that evolved within structural, social, spiritual and cultural contexts. Design This study used a descriptive qualitative approach with a cross-sectional design. Methods A total of 20 school counsellors from 9 provinces classified as 3T areas were recruited through purposive sampling . Semi-structured interviews were conducted online and analysed using thematic analysis. Validity of findings was maintained through peer debriefing, member checking , and cross-coding . Results Three main themes were found: (1) empathic exhaustion due to exposure to students' emotional crises, (2) institutional barriers that impede school counsellors' emotional recovery, and (3) multidimensional coping strategies, including spiritual practices, peer support, personal reflection, and engagement in local cultural practices. Cultural practices and community values were found to be important mechanisms in maintaining emotional resilience. Conclusion This study extends the theoretical framework of compassion fatigue by adding cultural and systemic dimensions in recovery strategies. The professional resilience of counsellors in underserved areas is not only the result of individual capacity, but also social and institutional constructs. The findings encourage the development of school mental health policies and interventions that are context, culture and systems-based.

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