The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue Among Caregivers of Children with Physical Disabilities in Selected Rehabilitation Clinics, Nairobi County, Kenya

Caregiving for children with physical disabilities imposes significant emotional and physical demands, creating a high risk environment for compassion fatigue CF , a condition characterized by the erosion of empathy and emotional resilience due to prolonged exposure to suffering. The situation is particularly acute in Sub Saharan Africa and Kenya, where systemic challenges and limited support resources exacerbate caregiver vulnerability. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of compassion fatigue among caregivers of children with physical disabilities attending selected rehabilitation clinics in Nairobi County, Kenya. A quantitative cross sectional design was employed, with data collected from 150 caregivers recruited through a census of all eligible caregivers from two major rehabilitation centers, including The Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya APDK and the Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya CPSK . Compassion fatigue was assessed using the Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress subscales of the Professional Quality of Life Scale ProQOL . Analysis revealed an overwhelming prevalence rate of 89.3 n=134 , with 96.0 of caregivers experiencing moderate burnout and 92.0 experiencing moderate secondary traumatic stress STS . These findings indicate an extreme level of psychological distress among this caregiver population. The study concludes that there is an urgent and critical need for targeted mental health support interventions and policies designed to mitigate compassion fatigue and build resilience among these essential caregivers in Nairobi County. Sarah Mercy Malaki-Otieno | Stephen Ngari Ndegwa | Kennedy Ondiba Ongaro "The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue Among Caregivers of Children with Physical Disabilities in Selected Rehabilitation Clinics, Nairobi County, Kenya" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-5 , October 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd97442.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/97442/the-prevalence-of-compassion-fatigue-among-caregivers-of-children-with-physical-disabilities-in-selected-rehabilitation-clinics-nairobi-county-kenya/sarah-mercy-malakiotieno