Efektivitas Acceptance and Commitment Therapy dan Dukungan Sosial dalam Menurunkan Burnout pada Elderly Caregiver di Panti Sosial X Sumatera Utara

Abstract

Humans undergo a developmental process, one stage of which is becoming elderly. An elderly person is defined as someone who has reached the age of 60 or older. At this stage, individuals tend to become more selective with their social environment. Ideally, the elderly should be cared for by their families to receive proper attention and care. However, with the evolving times and increasing life demands, many children or families feel burdened by the responsibility of caring for the elderly, resulting in many of them being placed in care homes. In these facilities, elderly caregivers provide assistance to the residents. Interviews revealed that a single elderly caregiver is often responsible for approximately 20 elderly individuals. This situation is physically and emotionally exhausting for the caregivers, often leading to burnout. Therefore, effective interventions are necessary to help reduce burnout among elderly caregivers. One such intervention is through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combined with social support. This study employed purposive sampling, involving a total of 9 participants. Data collection utilized three scales: the burnout scale, the psychological flexibility scale, and the social support scale. The analysis techniques used in this research were the N-Gain test and the Mann-Whitney test. The findings indicate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and social support in reducing burnout among elderly caregivers. The success of this study in reducing burnout was also influenced by the formation of a self-help group, which served as a space for participants to share stories, express concerns, and support one another. It is hoped that participants will continue to maintain the self-help group as a vital step in preventing burnout in the future.