Association of Personal Distress With Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Compassion Satisfaction Among Clinical Social Workers

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Clinical Social Workers ◽  
Personal Distress

scholarly journals Does Personal Distress Mediate the Effect of Mindfulness on Professional Quality of Life?

10.18060/2600 ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky T. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
Professional Quality Of Life ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Professional Quality

Personal distress is an aspect of the empathy construct which has been negatively associated with a range of psychological and behavioral problems. However, it is unclear whether mindfulness serves to buffer these negative relationships. This study examines direct effects and mediation effects of personal distress and mindfulness among three measures of professional quality of life: compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. This model was tested using a sample of clinical social workers (n = 171). Results indicated that higher personal distress is significantly associated with higher compassion fatigue and burnout and lower compassion satisfaction, while mindfulness is significantly associated with lower compassion fatigue and burnout and higher compassion satisfaction. Mediation analyses showed significant indirect effects on all three measures of professional quality of life, with effect sizes in the small to moderate range. The indirect effects of mindfulness via the personal distress path accounted for 14-22% of the total effect of mindfulness on the three measures of professional quality of life. Implications for the education and training of social workers are discussed.

scholarly journals Emotional demands, compassion and mental health in social workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
G Kinman ◽  
L Grant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Emotional Demands

Abstract Background Compassion, described as the act of providing care based on empathy, dignity and respect, is intrinsic to effective health and social care. Although delivering compassionate care has wide-ranging benefits for service users, more insight is needed into its effects on health and social care professionals. The emotional demands of ‘helping’ work can engender compassion fatigue that may impair well-being, whereas compassion satisfaction and feelings of compassion towards the self could be protective. Aims To examine the effects (direct and indirect) of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and self-compassion on mental health in a cohort of social workers. Methods We used validated scales to measure emotional demands, compassion satisfaction and fatigue, and self-compassion and the General Health Questionnaire-12 to assess mental health. We tested the main and moderating effects of emotional demands and the three facets of compassion using hierarchical regression analysis. Results The study sample comprised 306 social workers (79% female). Participants who reported higher levels of compassion satisfaction and self-compassion tended to report better mental health, whereas compassion fatigue was a significant risk factor for well-being. The models explained 44–53% of the variance in mental health symptoms. We found some evidence that compassion satisfaction and self-compassion buffer the negative effects of emotional demand on mental health, contributing 2 and 3%, respectively, to the incremental variance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that evidence-based interventions are needed to reduce compassion fatigue and enhance compassion satisfaction and self-compassion in social care work. We consider ways to accomplish this using targeted interventions.

Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue among medical social workers in Korea: the role of empathy

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 970-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaehee Yi ◽  
Min Ah Kim ◽  
Kwonho Choi ◽  
Brian A. Droubay ◽  
Soohyun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction

scholarly journals ‘It’s My Secret Space’: The Benefits of Mindfulness for Social Workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 758-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Kinman ◽  
Louise Grant ◽  
Susan Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Compassion

Abstract Social workers are at high risk of job-related stress that can impair their well-being and professional practice. Although organisational support is a fundamental requirement, it has been argued that social workers need to develop emotional resilience to help them manage the demands of the job. This mixed method study examines the effects of an eight-week mindfulness training course on several resources previously found to underpin resilience in social workers (emotional self-efficacy, psychological flexibility, reflective ability and self-compassion) together with aspects of well-being relevant to the role (compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and perceived stress). Participants’ perceptions of the benefits of mindfulness for their well-being and professional practice are further explored via the content analysis of open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews. Emotional self-efficacy, psychological flexibility and compassion satisfaction increased following the intervention and compassion fatigue and perceived stress were reduced. No significant changes were found in reflective ability and self-compassion. The qualitative data provided greater insight into the potential benefits of mindfulness for the well-being and job performance of social workers and factors that might encourage and discourage its use.

scholarly journals Social Work in the Department of Defense Hospital: Impact of the Work

10.18060/1866 ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan C. Beder
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Department Of Defense ◽  
Multidisciplinary Team ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Hospital Work ◽  
The Impact

Social workers in the Department of Defense Hospital are faced with numerous challenges to best address the needs of the nation’s wounded. Social workers serve diverse roles on the multidisciplinary team and are integral to the hospital work environment. Sometimes, however, the work extracts a toll on the social worker that may be expressed in terms of burnout and compassion fatigue. The converse is also true, that social workers may have a strong sense of compassion satisfaction about what they do. This article details the experience of social workers in Department of Defense hospitals. It describes the impact of the work on the social workers noting levels of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Findings suggest that generally the social workers find satisfaction in their work and degrees of compassion fatigue and burnout.

Social worker characteristics associated with perceived meaning in life

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Itzick ◽  
Maya Kagan ◽  
Menachem Ben-Ezra
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Worker Characteristics

Summary Meaning in life is an important element in the context of the workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore how certain factors, namely: subjective well-being, professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, burnout), loneliness, personal work-related subjection to violence, fear of being subjected to violence, age, parental status, and marital status can predict meaning in life among social workers in Israel. An extensive battery of online questionnaires was administered to 501 participants. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the association between a series of independent variables and meaning in life among social workers. Findings The findings suggest that age, subjective well-being, compassion satisfaction and fear of being personally subjected to violence were positively associated with meaning in life. However, loneliness and burnout were negatively associated with meaning in life. The other variables were not significantly associated with meaning in life. Applications Social work educators and managers must consider the importance of meaning in life when developing social care curricula and policies. Social workers must be aware of the importance of enhancing their sense of meaning in life for increasing their job satisfaction as well as improving the service provided to their clients.

scholarly journals Compassion fatigue of funeral directors during and after the first wave of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roel Van Overmeire ◽  
Rose-Lima Van Keer ◽  
Marie Cocquyt ◽  
Johan Bilsen
Keyword(s):  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Secondary Trauma ◽  
Compassion Satisfaction ◽  
Funeral Directors ◽  
Quality Of Life Scale ◽  
Life Scale ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Background Compassion fatigue has not been studied among funeral directors. Yet, funeral directors have been exposed to the same risks for compassion fatigue as other caregivers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods An online survey was spread two times to 287 employees of funeral home DELA, in Belgium. Once during the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in Belgium, and a second time at the end of the first wave. The professional quality of life-scale 5 (PROQOL-5) was used to measure compassion fatigue, which includes burnout, compassion satisfaction and secondary trauma. Non-parametric tests were performed. Results In total, 104 participants answered the first survey, and 107 the second. Burnout increases from survey 1 to survey 2 (P < 0.001), while compassion satisfaction (P = 0.011) and secondary trauma decrease (P < 0.001). In survey 1, only age (P = 0.007) and gender (P = 0.040) were found to be significantly associated with secondary trauma. In survey 2, having more work experience is associated with having a higher burnout (P = 0.008) and secondary trauma (P = 0.001) score. Neither for burnout (P < 0.001), nor for secondary trauma (P < 0.001) are there any respondents in the highest category. Conclusions Although overall funeral directors do not have acute problems with compassion fatigue, burnout scores increase significantly after the first wave.

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