What is Compassion Fatigue? Contributed by Sharon McGloin Compassion fatigue is defined as, “a state of exhaustion and dysfunction-biologically, psychologically, and socially-as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress”. (Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995) Within professional literature, compassion fatigue is also known as secondary victimization (Figley, 1982), secondary traumatic stress (Stamm, 1995), secondary traumatization, secondary traumatic stress disorder or vicarious traumatization (Saakvitne and Pearlman, 1996) and secondary survivor (Figley, 1995). A similar concept, “emotional contagion,” is defined as an affective process in which “an individual observing another person experiences emotional responses parallel to that person’s actual or anticipated emotions” (Figley) What does Compassion Fatigue have to do with Therapeutic Recreation? In a review of the literature on compassion fatigue, there are several articles that speak to secondary trauma or vicarious trauma. According to Charles Figley (1995), secondary traumatic stress is “the natural consequent behaviors resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other. It is the stress resulting from wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.” It used to be believed that only those who were exposed directly to the trauma experienced the results of the trauma. It has only been recently that researchers and practitioners have acknowledged that persons who work with or help traumatized persons are indirectly or secondarily at risk of developing the same symptoms as persons directly affected by the trauma. (Perry) In a recent study that included 132 Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), there was a significant relationship between compassion fatigue scores and caseload dissatisfaction. The results of the study determined that there is indirect evidence that perceptions about self worth (personally and professionally) and the value of family, friends, community, and other social resources are closely related to general morale. (Figley, 2002) Secondary traumatic stress is sometimes confused with burnout. It should not be. Burnout is “a state of physical, emotional and
What is Compassion Fatigue? Contributed by Sharon McGloin Compassion fatigue is defined as, “a state of exhaustion and dysfunction-biologically, psychologically, and socially-as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress”. (Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995) Within professional literature, compassion fatigue is also known as secondary victimization (Figley, 1982), secondary traumatic stress (Stamm, 1995), secondary traumatization, secondary traumatic stress disorder or vicarious traumatization (Saakvitne and Pearlman, 1996) and secondary survivor (Figley, 1995). A similar concept, “emotional contagion,” is defined as an affective process in which “an individual observing another person experiences emotional responses parallel to that person’s actual or anticipated emotions” (Figley) What does Compassion Fatigue have to do with Therapeutic Recreation? In a review of the literature on compassion fatigue, there are several articles that speak to secondary trauma or vicarious trauma. According to Charles Figley (1995), secondary traumatic stress is “the natural consequent behaviors resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other. It is the stress resulting from wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.” It used to be believed that only those who were exposed directly to the trauma experienced the results of the trauma. It has only been recently that researchers and practitioners have acknowledged that persons who work with or help traumatized persons are indirectly or secondarily at risk of developing the same symptoms as persons directly affected by the trauma. (Perry) In a recent study that included 132 Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), there was a significant relationship between compassion fatigue scores and caseload dissatisfaction. The results of the study determined that there is indirect evidence that perceptions about self worth (personally and professionally) and the value of family, friends, community, and other social resources are closely related to general morale. (Figley, 2002) Secondary traumatic stress is sometimes confused with burnout. It should not be. Burnout is “a state of physical, emotional and