Los factores asociados al desgaste en cuidadores formales en Conocoto Quito durante el año 2024

Abstract

Abstract: In Ecuador, population aging and the growing demand for continuous care underscore the essential yet risky role of formal caregivers. This quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study assessed 32 caregivers in Conocoto-Quito (2024) using the ZBI, GHQ-12, ProQOL-5, and MBI. Most do not perceive overload (81.3 %), while 12.5 % report mild overload and 6.3 % severe overload. Moderate levels of emotional vulnerability and self-care were observed, along with an average psychological-distress score (M = 10.13) above the early-warning threshold. Subgroups showed high emotional exhaustion (37.5 %) and compassion fatigue (53.1 %), although overall burnout risk remained largely low (96.9 %). In sum, caregivers maintain a reasonable balance between workload and resources with little severe overload and high job satisfaction yet continuous emotional exposure and still-limited self-care practices create pockets of fatigue that, without institutional reinforcement (regular assessments, emotional support, and recognition), could escalate and compromise care quality.