Passion at work and compassion satisfaction among highly sensitive speech and language therapists

Healthcare workers are often associated with passionate professions and generally report high levels of compassion satisfaction. However, while passion at work plays an essential role in caring, there are two types of passion with different consequences for carers and patients. We are investigating the role of passion in this satisfaction, particularly among highly sensitive individuals. 602 female speech and language therapists anonymously answered a questionnaire. We used the Passion Scale, Compassion Satisfaction from ProQOL and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale. Results showed that 92.36% of participants reported moderate or high levels of compassion satisfaction. In terms of sensory processing sensitivity, 50.50% of participants reported high scores, whereas this generally affects around 30% of the population. Furthermore, depending on passion type, some highly sensitive participants were more prone to compassion satisfaction than others. This study highlights the need to take an interest in sensory processing sensitivity and passion in the workplace, particularly in healthcare professions, as both play a role in compassion satisfaction. It is discussed how sensitivity can be a strength in their profession and protect them from some of the negative effects of their work.