Compassion Fatigue as a Mediator Between Emotional Intelligence and Marital Anxiety Among Unmarried Mental Health Professionals Working in Family and Social Services

Professionals working in family and social services are frequently exposed to emotionally demanding interpersonal experiences, which may influence both their occupational well-being and their perceptions of close relationships. This study was conducted to examine the mediating role of compassion fatigue in the relationship between emotional intelligence and marital anxiety among unmarried mental health professionals in Türkiye. The sample consisted of 311 unmarried mental health workers, including psychologists, social workers, and psychological counselors employed in provincial directorates of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Data were collected using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form (TEQue-SF), the Compassion Fatigue—Short Scale, and the Marital Anxiety Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro Model 4. The findings revealed that emotional intelligence negatively predicted compassion fatigue. Emotional intelligence also negatively predicted marital anxiety, while compassion fatigue did not directly predict marital anxiety. Mediation analysis revealed that compassion fatigue played a significant moderate mediating role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and marital anxiety. These findings suggest that occupational emotional experiences may be indirectly associated with relationship-related concerns among unmarried mental health professionals. The results highlight the importance of considering both emotional intelligence and compassion fatigue in understanding marital anxiety and supporting the development of training, supervision, and psychoeducational interventions aimed at strengthening emotional regulation and professional well-being. Future research including both unmarried and married professionals, as well as longitudinal and mixed-method designs incorporating qualitative interviews, may further clarify these relationships and the mechanisms underlying them.