Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Many adults in the United States experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within their lifetimes. Researchers have identified compassion fatigue (CF), which debilitates mental health providers as a result of being exposed to their clients' traumatic experiences, as an occupational hazard. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation exists between the presence of CF and the level of resilience. A confidential survey using the Connors-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5, and a demographic questionnaire were given to graduate-level mental health clinicians who self-identified as routinely working with and/or treating trauma victims in the past 6 months. Participants were recruited from the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation, the Metropolitan Atlanta Therapists Network, Dallas Chapter NASW listserv, and the Georgia Therapist Network. A multivariate analysis on the collected data was conducted to determine whether a relationship exists between the resilience scale and the subscales of CF within these population samples. According to study findings, there is a correlation between resilience and the 3 compassion fatigue subscales---CF, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. This study may lead to positive social change by helping guide clinicians to find ways to enhance resilience, and therefore, decrease risks of CF.
Source: ScholarWorks (Walden University)
Author: Daniel P. David
Institution: Walden University
Language: English
Topic: Stress and Burnout Research
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2120639488