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Cited by 599Stress and Burnout ResearchOccupational Health and BurnoutHealthcare professionals’ stress and burnout

Compassion Fatigue among Healthcare, Emergency and Community Service Workers: A Systematic Review.

Open access
Cocker, Fiona, Joss, Nerida·2016·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph13060618PMC PMC4924075
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Abstract

Compassion fatigue (CF) is stress resulting from exposure to a traumatized individual. CF has been described as the convergence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and cumulative burnout (BO), a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by a depleted ability to cope with one's everyday environment. Professionals regularly exposed to the traumatic experiences of the people they service, such as healthcare, emergency and community service workers, are particularly susceptible to developing CF. This can impact standards of patient care, relationships with colleagues, or lead to more serious mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce CF in healthcare, emergency and community service workers was conducted. Thirteen relevant studies were identified, the majority of which were conducted on nurses (n = 10). Three included studies focused on community service workers (social workers, disability sector workers), while no studies targeting emergency service workers were identified. Seven studies reported a significant difference post-intervention in BO (n = 4) or STS (n = 3). This review revealed that evidence of the effectiveness of CF interventions in at-risk health and social care professions is relatively recent. Therefore, we recommend more research to determine how best to protect vulnerable workers at work to prevent not only CF, but also the health and economic consequences related to the ensuing, and more disabling, physical and mental health outcomes.

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Crossref · 10.3390/ijerph13060618

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  • Existing reviews have either amalgamated mental health workers with other healthcare workers as one group or excluded them.

    “However, existing reviews have either amalgamated MHWs with other healthcare workers as one group -e.g., focusing purely on mindfulness and compassion interventions [33]—or excluded them [32].”

    From Interventions to address empathy-based stress in mental health workers: A scoping review and research agenda (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

    The cited review does not exclude mental health workers as an occupational group. Its Methods (§2.2) set eligibility by intervention design and compassion-fatigue outcomes, while Results (§3.1) lists two included studies involving social workers; these passages run contrary to the claim that this review excluded mental health workers. (LLM, conf=0.75)

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  • Previous reviews targeting healthcare workers suggest that intervention or training may be effective in reducing empathy-based stress.

    “Previous reviews targeting healthcare workers suggest that intervention/training may be effective in reducing EBS [32].”

    From Interventions to address empathy-based stress in mental health workers: A scoping review and research agenda (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

  • Cocker et al [32] found all 13 included studies had an individual focus, and the majority employed stress reduction and/or holistic interventions (e.g., yoga, meditation).

    “Cocker et al [32] found all 13 included studies had an individual focus, and the majority employed stress reduction and/or holistic interventions (e.g., yoga, meditation).”

    From Interventions to address empathy-based stress in mental health workers: A scoping review and research agenda (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

  • Cocker et al [32] found their earliest study published in 2011 and concluded that the evidence base for CF interventions is relatively recent.

    “In a review that solely targeted CF, Cocker et al [32] found their earliest study published in 2011 and concluded that the evidence base for these interventions is relatively recent.”

    From Interventions to address empathy-based stress in mental health workers: A scoping review and research agenda (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [3]Baranowsky A. Gentry J. Workbook/Journal for a Compassion Fatigue Specialist Psych Ink Resources Toronto, ON, Canada 1999
  2. [11]Valent P. Diagnosis and treatment of helper stresses, traumas, and illnesses Treating Compassion Fatigue Brunner-Routledge New York City, NY, USA 2002 17 37
  3. [14]Caringi J. Pearlman L. Living and working self-reflectively to address vicarious trauma Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide Guilford Press New York City, NY, USA 2009 202 222
  4. [23]Figley C.R. Treating Compassion Fatigue Brunner-Routledge New York City, NY, USA 2002
  5. [46]Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (Cat. No. 6359.0) ABS Canberra, Australia 2014

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Authors
Cocker, F., & Joss, N.
Affiliations
  • Monash University (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
Corresponding author
Cocker, Fiona
ORCID
Cocker, Fiona
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2016-06-22
Volume
13
Issue
6
Pages
618
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph13060618
PMC
PMC4924075
OpenAlex
W2475102043
Cited by
599
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 58 · 2025: 79 · 2024: 96 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 61 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 1
FWCI
3.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
Keywords
compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, healthcare workers, emergency workers, nurses, social workers, burnout intervention, occupational stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health of care workers
MeSH terms
Compassion Fatigue, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Burnout, Professional, Community Health Workers, Female, Health Personnel, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Diseases, Risk Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Emergency Responders

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