Compassion fatigue

The emotional and physical depletion that builds in caregiving roles from the cumulative cost of empathizing with others' distress.

Compassion fatigue is the gradual emotional and physical depletion experienced by people in caregiving roles — nurses, therapists, social workers, first responders, and family caregivers — from the cumulative cost of engaging empathically with others' suffering. It blends elements of burnout with secondary traumatic stress: the strain of being repeatedly exposed to others' trauma.

It overlaps with burnout but is distinct. Burnout is a broad response to chronic job stress; compassion fatigue is specific to the empathic demands of care work and can set in relatively quickly. It's commonly assessed with the Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOL). Left unaddressed, it erodes both the caregiver's well-being and the quality of care they can provide.

Take the Work Well-Being Survey

Burnout (occupational) — Chronic, unmanaged workplace stress marked by exhaustion, mental distance from work, and reduced effectiveness — a WHO-recognized occupational phenomenon.
Occupational stress — The strain that arises when job demands persistently outstrip a worker's resources or control — the broader condition from which burnout can develop.
Self-report — An assessment format in which respondents rate their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.
Screening — Using a brief assessment to identify people who may benefit from further evaluation — not to diagnose.

Compassion fatigue

See it in practice

Related terms