Managing Emotional Fatigue(Compassion fatigue, burnout, vicarious trauma)

Lauren Stapleton, Psychology Discipline Senior, Dandenong Adult Mental Health and Young Persons Mental Health

Why’s it Important?

2

Compassion fatigue is more common in health professionals who deal with patients with acute traumatic injuries or long-term debilitating illnesses.

‘Occupational stress injury’, this is the cultural shift away from blame and stigmatization, and towards shared responsibility and empathy.

The Stats

3

Healthcare workers are greatest risk - between 1/3 to 1/2 will experience burnout

(Brindley et al., 2019).

Compassion fatigue has also been shown to affect 16% to 39% of nurses, with nurses working in emergency, oncology, hospice,

and paediatric settings reporting higher levels (Potter et al., 2013).

Those in the frontline of treating trauma are at especially high risk for developing compassion fatigue. Research has found that in a sample of

GPs, one in three reported high levels of compassion fatigue (McKinley et al., 2020).

The Definitions

4

Vicarious Trauma (VT) Compassion Fatigue (CF)

Burnout (BO)

Vicarious trauma has been defined as the profound shift in world view that occurs in helping professionals when they work with clients who have experienced trauma

Compassion fatigue is the emotional and physical distress caused by treating and helping patients who are deeply in need

Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal value (Jarrad & Hammad, 2020). It can happen alone or in a combination with CF

5

What Places You at Higher Risk?

Personal and current life

circumstancesWork

environment

Female gender

Age (younger clinicians are more vulnerable to compassion fatigue)

Clinician’s own past trauma history

Coping style i.e., avoidant coping style

Personality style i.e., identifying as a ‘carer’ or taking on ‘carer/helper’ roles

Current life circumstances and other life stressors i.e., taking care of young children, caring for ageing parents)

Amount and quality of social support

Increased exposure to traumatised

clients

Length of time providing certain

types of treatments to patients

occupational stress i.e., a high amount of administration work,

paperwork, workplace negativity

What are the Triggers? Vi

cario

usTr

aum

aCo

mpa

ssio

n Fa

tigue

Bu

rnou

t

Personal characteristics, previous exposure to trauma, organisational context.

Personal characteristics, previous exposure to trauma, empathy and emotional energy, prolonged exposure to trauma of client group, responses to stressor, work environment and work related attitude

Personal characteristics, work-related attributes, organisational characteristics

6

What are the Signs/Symptoms? Vi

cario

usTr

aum

aCo

mpa

ssio

n Fa

tigue

Bu

rnou

t

7

Anxiety, sadness, apathy, confusion, intrusive imagery, somatic complaints

Avoidance or dread in working with some patients, reduced ability to feel empathy, increased sick days, detachment, changes in beliefs, somatic complaints

Insomnia, anxiety, depression, hostility, apathy, distrust, irritability and isolation (Jarrad & Hammad, 2020) Associated with: job dissatisfaction, low organisational commitment, absenteeism, intention to leave job and turnover (O’Connor et al., 2018)

8

What Can We Do?

What helps reduce

burnout?

Capacity to influence decisions, sense of

autonomy

Developing a better self-understanding (via various self-analytic techniques, counselling or therapy, self reflection) (Maslach & Leiter, 2016)

Promoting good health and fitness

Utilizing relaxation strategies

Obtaining social support (both from colleagues and family)

Developing coping skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, conflict resolution, time management)

Changing work patterns (e.g., working less, taking more breaks, avoiding

overtime work, balancing work with the rest of one's life)

Compassion Satisfaction

9

Compassion Satisfaction (CS) is defined as lending a hand to others through life's challenges (Jarrad & Hammad, 2020)

CS is about gaining a sense of achievement from the content of caring whilst resisting the negative emotional effects it may have.

CS feelings include fulfilment, reward, achievement, happiness, enrichment and inspiration; the positive aspects of helping.

PSYCHOLOGIAL FACTORS

Empathy

Personality

Coping Style

Psychological Capital

Compassion Satisfaction

How to Remain Satisfied - What Can I Do?

10

Make meaningful memories of the caring role

The dynamics of co-workers

Quality of social support

Exercise

Hobbies

Rest

Don’t underestimate the ongoing caring role you play at home (see this as a 2nd shift)

What Role Does Self-Care Play?

Self-care planning and implementation is the

early intervention against compassion

fatigue.

11

30/7/20 12

What Can I Do?

Time management

Self-reflection

Relaxation/ Mindfulness

Cognitive restructuring

Seeking support – at work or at

home

What is Available?

13

Call a Psychologist for Individual and/or Team Support on Call 0418 905 4149am – 5pm, Monday to Friday

Alternatively for individual support, call EAP on 1300 687 327

References

• Brindley, P.G., Olusanya, S., Wong, A., Crowe, L., & Hawryluck, L. (2019). Psychological ‘burnout’ in healthcare professionals: Updating our

understanding, and not making it worse. Journal of Intensive Care Society, 20(4), 358-362.

• Jarrad, R.A., & Hammad, S. (2020). Oncology nurses 'compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction. Annals of General Psychiatry,19:22, 1-8

• Maslach, C. & Leiter, M.P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15:103-111

• O’Connor, K., Neffe, D.M., & Pitman, S. (2018). Burnout in mental health professional: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and determinants. European Psychiatry, 53: 74-99

• Pearlman, L. A., & Saakvitne, K. W. (1995). Trauma and the therapist: Countertransference and vicarious traumatization in psychotherapy with incest survivors. W W Norton & Co.

14