Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue refers to a state of emotional and psychological exhaustion resulting from prolonged exposure to the suffering of others, particularly in the context of helping professions. It is commonly experienced by individuals who provide care or support to people undergoing trauma, illness, or chronic distress, such as psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, physicians, emergency responders, social workers, and volunteers.The term was extensively described by Charles Figley (1995), who defined it as the “cost of caring” for those in emotional pain. Compassion fatigue is often considered a form of secondary traumatic stress (STS), although it differs from burnout, even though the two can co-occur.

Source: Figley, C. R. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York, NY: Brunner/Mazel.