Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Burnout: Factors Impacting a Professional's Quality of Life

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between three variables, compassion fatigue (CF), compassion satisfaction (CS), and burnout, and provider and setting characteristics in a sample of 1,121 mental health providers in a rural southern state. Respondents completed the Professional Quality of Life Scale as part of a larger survey of provider practice patterns. Female gender was associated with higher levels of CF, and therapists with specialized training in trauma work reported higher levels of CS than nonspecialists. Provider discipline proved to be an important factor, with psychiatrists reporting higher levels of CF than their non-medicalcounterparts. When providers were compared using rural, urban, and rural with urban influence classifications, the most rural providers reported increased levels of burnout but could not be distinguished from their colleagues on the CF and CS subscales. Important practice, education, and policy implications are noted for a multidisciplinary audience.

Notes

^a df = 1, 1056

∗P < .001

^b df = 3, 256

∗p < .001.

^a CS: F(7, 523) = 2.2, p < .05; CF: F(7, 523) = 5.20, p < .001; burnout: F(7, 523) = 2.02, NS.

^b CS: F(5, 516) = 1.28, NS; CF: F(5, 516) = 2.68, p < .05; burnout: F(5, 516) = 3.26, p < .01.

∗p < .05

∗∗p = .01

∗∗∗p < .000

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ginny Sprang

Ginny Sprang is the Buckhorn Professor of Child Welfare and Children's Mental Health at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Sprang received her Ph.D from the University of Texas in 1991 and served as a visiting associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, Irving Harris Program in Child Development and Infant Mental Health, during her sabbatical in 2003–2004. She is considered a national expert on child trauma and children's mental health.

James J. Clark

Adrienne Whitt-Woosley is a clinical social worker and adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky. Her clinical work focuses on serving children and families impacted by maltreatment, and she is the project director for the UK Behavioral Health Disaster Response Project. This project provides research and training for health care professionals statewide and nationally regarding disaster response strategies and trauma intervention.

Adrienne Whitt-Woosley

James J. Clark is an associate professor and associate dean for research at the University of Kentucky with appointments in the College of Social Work and the College of Medicine (Department of Psychiatry). He is a licensed clinical social worker with practice and research specializations in forensic mental health, child maltreatment, and substance misuse. He is also a principal investigator with the UK Comprehensive Assessment and Training Services Project.