title: Abortion providers, stigma and professional quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Providers Share Workshop (PSW) provides abortion providers safe space to discuss their work experiences. Our objectives were to assess changes in abortion stigma over time and explore how stigma is related to aspects of professional quality of life, including compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue for providers participating in the workshops.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine providers were recruited to the PSW study. Surveys were completed prior to, immediately following and 1 year after the workshops. The outcome measures were the Abortion Provider Stigma Survey and the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) survey. Baseline ProQOL scores were compared to published averages using t tests. Changes in abortion stigma and aspects of professional quality of life were assessed by fitting a two-level random-effects model with repeated measures at level 1 (period-level) and static measures (e.g., demographic data) at level 2 (person-level). Potential covariates included age, parenting status, education, organizational tenure, job type and clinic type (stand-alone vs. hospital-based clinics).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to other healthcare workers, abortion providers reported higher compassion satisfaction (t=2.65, p=.009) and lower burnout (t=5.13, p<.0001). Repeated-measures analysis revealed statistically significant decreases in stigma over time. Regression analysis identified abortion stigma as a significant predictor of lower compassion satisfaction, higher burnout and higher compassion fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants in PSW reported a reduction in abortion stigma over time. Further, stigma is an important predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue, suggesting that interventions aimed at supporting the abortion providing workforce should likely assess abortion stigma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stigma is an important predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue among abortion care providers. Therefore, strengthening human resources for abortion care requires stigma reduction efforts. Participants in the PSWs show reductions in stigma over time.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA. Electronic address: martilis@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debbink
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hassinger
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Youatt
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology; D004645:Empathy; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011788:Quality of Life; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Abortion stigma; Professional quality of life; Providers Share Workshop; Workplace interventions