Assessment of and Intervention for Compassion Fatigue in Psychotherapists

Background:A 2017 meta-analysis of 90 studies related to compassion fatigue confirms that healthcare professionals across all disciplines experience impairments to their physical, mental, and interpersonal health caused by work-related stress. This project explored whether a compassion fatigue workshop increased awareness of the phenomenon and reduced the level of compassion fatigue present in members of a small, private mental health care clinic in Provo, Utah.Methods: Psychotherapists were asked to complete the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire (Pro QoL) and a short survey prior to attending an educational workshop designed to address compassion fatigue, (CF). A one-hour workshop that educated participants about the sign/symptoms, epidemiology, risk factors, treatment and outcomes of CF was delivered. One week following the completion of the workshop, participants completed a second Pro QoL and a short survey. The pre- and post-workshop Pro QoL responses were analyzed for change using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A 5-point Likert scale was used to rank participants' level of concerns regarding CF in professional life and the strength of its effect on them individually. Results:Therapists practicing at a Utah County mental health clinic indicated low levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress on the pre-intervention Pro QoL. The site had average to high levels of compassion satisfaction. A total of four participants completed both the pre- and post-Pro QoL and survey (n=4), which precluded any meaningful conclusions about the workshop's efficacy. In a short questionnaire, using a Likert-type scale, participants rated CF as an important concern in their professional lives with a mean score of 4.79 (n=13). They also indicated that CF significantly affected them on a personal level with a mean score of 3.24 (n=13). Conclusions:Despite working without a protocol targeting the management of CF, therapists at this clinic appear to be effectively managing CF. Pre-intervention Pro QoL scores for burnout and secondary traumatic stress were low before the CF workshop intervention. Workshop participants found it helpful according to participant feedback gathered at the conclusion of the workshop. The small number of participants precludes generalization of results to other settings.