The Bell Tolls for Thee &amp; Thine: Compassion Fatigue &amp; the Overdose Epidemic

Winstanley, Erin L.

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102796

Cited by 44 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 63 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Exposure to such trauma leads to distress and is termed "compassion fatigue" [72]. A recent study indicated that even a single exposure to a fatal or non-fatal overdose can cause stress, burnout and overdose-related compassion fatigue [23]. For experiential workers, the grief and the associated stress is ampli ed multifold, as they are repeatedly exposed to others' trauma, coupled with the trauma they face themselves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“An Emotional Roller-Coaster:" Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

Mamdani

McKenzie

Pauly

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Experiential workers or ‘peers’ (workers with past or present drug use experience) are at the forefront of overdose response initiatives and their role is essential in creating safe spaces for people who use drugs (PWUD). Working in overdose response settings has benefits for experiential workers but is also stressful, with lasting emotional and mental health effects. Yet, little is known about the stressors experiential workers face and what interventions can be implemented to support them in their roles. Methods This project used a community-based mixed methods research design. Eight experiential worker-led focus groups (n = 31) were conducted between November 2018 and March 2019 to assess needs of experiential workers. The transcripts were thematically coded and analyzed using interpretative description. These results informed a survey which was conducted (n = 50) in September 2019 to acquire quantitative data on experiential workers’ perception of health, quality of life, working conditions and stressors. Frequency distributions were used to describe characteristics of participants. X2 distribution values with Yates correction were conducted to check for association between variables. Results Five themes emerged from the focus groups that point to stressors felt by experiential workers: (1) Financial insecurity; (2) lack of respect and recognition at work; (3) poor living conditions; (4) inability to access and/or refer individuals to resources; and (5) constant exposure to death and trauma. Consistent with this, the top four factors that survey participants picked as one of the “top three stressors” included financial situation, work situation, housing, and caring for others. Conclusion Experiential workers are faced with a diversity of stressors in their lives which often reflect societal stigmatization of drug use. Recognition of these stressors is critical in designing interventions to ease the emotional, physical and financial burden faced by experiential workers.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Individuals working in overdose response face grief due to the signi cant loss of lives during the overdose epidemic [11,[20][21][22]. A recent study indicated that even a single exposure to a fatal or non-fatal overdose can lead to considerable stress, burnout and overdose-related compassion fatigue [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“An Emotional Roller-Coaster:" Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

Mamdani

McKenzie

Pauly

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Exposure to such trauma leads to distress and is termed "compassion fatigue" [93]. A recent study indicated that even a single exposure to a fatal or non-fatal overdose can cause stress, burnout and overdose-related compassion fatigue [31]. For peer workers, the grief and the associated stress is ampli ed multifold, as they are repeatedly exposed to others' trauma, coupled with the trauma they face themselves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Individuals working in overdose response face grief due to the signi cant loss of lives during the overdose epidemic [12,19,26,30]. A recent study indicated that even a single exposure to a fatal or non-fatal overdose can lead to considerable stress, burnout and overdose-related compassion fatigue [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

"Running myself ragged": Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

Mamdani

McKenzie

Pauly

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Peer workers or ‘peers’ (workers with past or present drug use experience) are at the forefront of overdose response initiatives and their role is essential in creating safe spaces for people who use drugs (PWUD). Working in overdose response settings has benefits for peer workers but is also stressful, with lasting emotional and mental health effects. Yet, little is known about the stressors peer workers face and what interventions can be implemented to support them in their roles. Methods: This project used a community-based sequential mixed methods research design. Eight peer researcher-led focus groups (n=31) were conducted between November 2018 and March 2019 to assess needs of peer workers. The transcripts were thematically coded and analyzed using interpretative description. These results informed a survey which was conducted (n=50) in September 2019 to acquire quantitative data on peer workers’ perception of health, quality of life, working conditions and stressors. Frequency distributions were used to describe characteristics of participants. X 2 distribution values with Yates correction were conducted to check for association between variables. Results: Five themes emerged from the focus groups that point to stressors felt by peer workers: (1) Financial insecurity; (2) lack of respect and recognition at work; (3) housing challenges; (4) inability to access and/or refer individuals to resources; and (5) constant exposure to death and trauma. Consistent with this, the factors that survey participants picked as one of their “top three stressors” included financial situation, work situation, and housing challenges. Conclusion: Peer workers are faced with a diversity of stressors in their lives which often reflect societal stigmatization of drug use. Recognition of these systemic stressors is critical in designing interventions to ease the emotional, physical and financial burden faced by peer workers.

show abstract

“…Readers might not find curling up with a book about overdose deaths to be appealing during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It may seem like a particularly bad idea for those already experiencing overdose‐related compassion fatigue [5], but Campbell's prose brings levity to the topic and a flair that at times verges on the dramatic, inviting the reader to become immersed in this comprehensive and nuanced history. Each page reveals wonderful new tidbits of knowledge, from anecdotal reports of paramedics trading naloxone for cannabis to Andrew McAuley's clever idea of discreetly storing naloxone in eyeglass cases.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bell Tolls for Thee & Thine: Compassion Fatigue & the Overdose Epidemic

Cited by 44 publications

References 63 publications

“An Emotional Roller-Coaster:" Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

“An Emotional Roller-Coaster:" Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

"Running myself ragged": Stressors Faced by Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings

OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose. NancyCampbellBoston, MA, USA: MIT Press; 2020 ISBN: 9780262043663

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About