Staff compassion in acute mental health wards: a grounded theory investigation

Staff working on acute inpatient mental health wards face unique challenges in terms of short admissions, acuity, complexity and exposure to violence, suicide and self-harm. They experience high levels of stress and burnout, which can impact compassion.

To qualitatively explore staff's understanding and conceptualisation of the development, loss and restoration of compassion within acute inpatient environments.

Eleven participants from a variety of professional backgrounds currently working on acute wards were interviewed. Using constructivist grounded theory, data were synthesised into theoretical categories and sub-categories.

A conceptual model of the facilitators and inhibitors of compassionate care was developed, based on five categories that emerged from the data: A compassionate stance; the challenges of acute wards; feeling under threat; restoring compassion; and a compassionate organisation.

Findings outline the process whereby staff compassion can be challenged or depleted, leading to a negative appraisal of the patient. Colleague support, knowing and understanding patients, and accessing a reflective space all supported the restoration of compassion. Staff reported lack of organisational compassion influenced their ability to maintain a compassionate stance. The importance of appropriate training and support structures is discussed, alongside recommendations to support the development of compassionate acute mental health care.