A cross-disciplinary comparison of perceptions of compassion fatigue and satisfaction among service providers of highly traumatized children and adolescents.

Abstract

This article is reporting data from the qualitative arm of a mixed-methods study in which the researchers explored perceptions of compassion fatigue (CF), compassion satisfaction (CS), and burnout (BO) among a subset of clinical providers from various disciplines providing services to highly traumatized youth. Thirty-six providers (case managers, psychology fellows, psychologists, and clinical social workers) completed an anonymous online survey collecting demographic, professional, and personal data. Twenty-five providers participated in discipline-specific focus groups that solicited reflections on providing services to traumatized youth. Qualitative analyses provided rich illustrations of the impact of working with highly traumatized youth. Results also highlighted the unique nuances of how each provider type perceived and experienced CF, CS, and BO and presented how personal, professional, and organizational factors interacted to influence the manifestation of these constructs.

Administrative Pressure to Practice Unethically and Burnout Within the Profession of School Psychology

“…Elevated levels of burnout have been observed among mental health professionals, with more recent research focusing on clinical service providers working with vulnerable populations, such as incarcerated individuals (Gallavan & Newman, 2013), actively deployed military service members (Johnson, Bertschinger, Snell, & Wilson, 2014), and highly traumatized youth (de Figueiredo, Yetwin, Sherer, Radzik, & Iverson, 2014). Studies directly pertaining to school psychologists are generally more than two decades old and highlight the need for more current research.…”

Where’s the roadmap? The transition from student to professional for new Master of Social Work graduates

“…Compassion satisfaction can be defined as the personal growth and satisfaction that results from working clinically with clients, and can have a positive impact on social worker’s health, ability to provide services, and longevity in a job. It can also protect against the impact of compassion fatigue (de Figueiredo et al., 2014). The vast majority of new graduates in this study mentioned how much they enjoyed working with clients and found their jobs rewarding.…”

Students, inclusion, help-seeking and compassionate caring

“…de Figueiredo et al (2014) note that some level of compassion fatigue is normal. They also note that it can lead to loss of compassion and poor care if not recognised and addressed.…”

“…Parallel with compassion fatigue, workers can experience "compassion satisfaction", arising out of a sense of personal growth following secondary trauma, and from feelings of fulfilment from doing meaningful work. It is thought that compassion satisfaction might protect workers from compassion fatigue, especially if they are able to recognise both and maintain a balance between them, suggest de Figueiredo et al (2014).…”

“…The study reported by de Figueiredo et al (2014) involved focus groups with four different professions working in the same setting with babies, children, and young people exposed to psychological and physical trauma. There were 25 workers in the focus groups, although 36 workers gave information about their background in an online survey.…”