Compassion Fatigue Analysis Health And Social Care Essay

lenity harass Analysis Health And Social Cargon take inNowadays, natural disasters, warf atomic number 18, violent crime, acts of terrorism, domestic violence and child ab drop atomic number 18 circumstances that significantly jounce life in modern society (Bush, 2009). These takingss necessitate master directions to goodly treat the combat injury associated with these face-to-face and social crises. When counsel are therapeutically engaged with a child or adult who has been traumatized or encounter with the trauma survivor, he or she whitethorn be at risk to intrusive thoughts, obviateance, negative affect and damage psychological functioning (Chrestman, 1995). Therefore, counsels are defenseless to commiseration devolve. The concept of prevailerness devolve emerged save in the last several long time in the master key literature. It typifys the cost of fondness round and for traumatized population (Adams et al., 2006 Figley, 2002).1.1 Definition of fo rgiveness frighten awaySome authors identified forbearanceateness dash as a state in which a counselor lacks of worked up strength, exhaustion, cognize languor, and discharge of vitality and energy (Alkema, Linton, Davies, 2008). In another(prenominal) words, it may be apprehend as a comprehend of cosmos tired of helping others and decision it difficult to act out of leniency. Additionally, some experts view forbearance weariness as a hazard associated primarily with ami sufficient wellness clinicians and with first responders to natural and pitying made disaster such as mainland China earthquake and incident of 9/11 (Boscarino, Figley, Adams, 2004). Among the helping professions, genetic counselors clear do witness much pain and suffering, and may fall predate to blessing jade (Udipi, Veach, Kao, LeRoy, 2008).According to Fidley (1993) as cited in Figley (2002), mildness wear d have got or alternate traumatic emphasize (STS) can be posit as the natural consequence behaviors and emotions resulting from knowing about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other-the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person. As Figley (2002) pointed out, forbearance fatigue is identical to secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) and is the uniform of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Figley, 2002). Moreover, grace fatigue is in like manner fared as secondary traumatization, secondary traumatic stress disorder, or secondary traumatization within professional person literature (Figley, 2002 Hofmann, 2009).1.2 Historical Background of forbearance FatigueThe study of traumatic events and their subsequent impact on human beings has grown considerably over the past two decades. Since the early 1980s, the symptomatic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (APPENDIX A) has recognized two acute and localise Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) as identifiable psychogenic health c oncerns (Alkema et al., 2002). in whatever case that, according to the notion stated in criterion A1 of the PTSD diagnosis, it clearly betokens that people can develop the symptoms of PTSD without actually being physically harmed or threatened with harm (Alkema et al., 2008 Figley, 2002). That is, people can be traumatized barely by learning about the traumatic event. However, according to a limited review of the traumatology literature, it come to a conclusion that just about all of the hundreds of reports focus on traumatized people exclude those who were traumatized in right off or secondarily and only focus on those who were directly traumatized, that is, the victims (Craig Sprang, 2010 Figley, 2002). As a result, after to a greater extent than a decade of negligence of the indirect traumatized people, it is grand to consider the least(prenominal) studied aspect of traumatized stress, which is secondary traumatic stress (STS) or later, forgiveness fatigue.The term g entleness fatigue was used as far stick out as 1990, the news media in the United States used lenity fatigue to describe the publics lack of patience, or perhaps simply the editors lack of patience, with the homeless person problem, which had previously been presented as an anomaly or even a crisis which had only existed for a short succession and could presumably be solved somehow. afterward on in 1992, Joinson first used the term in print, in discussing burnout among nurses who deal with hospital emergencies, counselor, emergency get goingers and other professionals who experience STS in the delimitate of duty (Dominguez-Gomez Rutledge, 2009). That same year Jeffrey Kottler (1992), in his book, Compassionate Therapy, emphasize the immenseness of clemency in dealings with intensely difficult and resistant patient roles. Additionally, compassion fatigue has been studied by the field of traumatology, where it has been called the cost of caring for people facing emotional p ain (Boscarino et al., 2004 Hofmann, 2009).Further more(prenominal), one of the first earliest references in the scientific literature regarding this cost of caring comes from Carl G. Jung in The Psychology of aberration Praecox. In this text, Jung discusses the challenges of countertransference the healers conscious and unconscious reactions to the patient in the therapeutic situation. In his text, he pointed out that therapist can treat their patients with schizophrenia by participates in the delusional fantasies and hallucinations with the patient. Nevertheless, he warns that this participation in the patients darkly plaguy fantasy world of traumatic images has significant deleterious effect for the therapist especially when the therapist has not resolved his/her own outgrowthal and traumatic issues (Craig Sprang, 2010 Figley, 2002).1.3 Statistic of compassion fatigue on counselors without the years, the number of natural and expert disasters was on the rise, therefore, s tudies of the effects of disaster events on both the victims and the disaster responders change magnitude (Boscarino, Adams, Figley, 2006 Bush, 2009). M whatsoever researchers focus on those professionals who provide therapy to victims of trauma such as trauma counselors, crisis workers, nurses and other cathexisgivers who beseem victims themselves of secondary traumatic stress (STS) or compassion fatigue (Bourassa, 2009 Coetzee Klopper, 2010 Figley, 2002).Studies which focus on picture the psychological impacts of providing mental health counseling to the disasters victims had found out that counselors were psychologically affected by their work, whether or not they personally experienced the disaster (Martin et al., 2010). For instance, as Myers and construct (2005) pointed out, nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of counselors were rated as being at risk of compassion fatigue, which take on moderate risk (23.5%), high risk (29.4%), and extremely high risk (20.6%) in their study of the psychological impact on counselors who work with the trauma survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing (Myers Wee, 2005) Furthermore, Meldrum et al. (2002) found that 27% of a sample of Australian mental health professions who worked with traumatized individuals describe extreme stress from this oddball of work (Meldrum, King, Spooner, 2002).In a research article that have been by by Arvay and Uhlemann (1996) using a sample of 161 trauma counselors in British Columbia, they found out that 24% of the counselors interviewed perceived life as stressful. cardinal percent reported high directs of emotional exhaustion, 4% reported levels of hypostatisation and 26% reported feeling in efficacious at work in terms of professional accomplishment (Arvay Uhlemann, 1996). Fourteen percent of the sample reported traumatic stress levels similar to PTSD. In their article, Arvay and Uhlemann (1996) also pointed out that the afflicted counselor was in his or her early 40s, held less tha n a know degree and was more likely to work for an agency than in a private setting. Additionally, Sprang et al. (2007) also found out that young female with high educational degree and less experience in clinical settings predicted lofty levels compassion fatigue in the studys sample of 1,121 mental health providers (Sprang, Clark, Whitt-Woosley, 2007).1.4 Causes of compassion fatigueAccording to Figley (2002), compassion fatigue occurs when one is undefended to extreme events directly experienced by another and blend ins overwhelmed by this secondary film to trauma. Thus, counselors who always listen to reports of trauma, horror, human cruelty and extreme loss of their customers are at high risk of experience compassion fatigue.In effective counseling, controlled reactivation of the traumatic memories is promoted by many encumbrances or forms of psychotherapy over delinquent to in the prevailing opinion among psychotherapists working through the traumatic events is benef icial to the client (Craig Sprang, 2010 Kinzel Nanson, 2000). For instance, in behavior therapy, clients are asked to confront with stimuli relating to the traumatic events through go to a crime scene (in vivo) or imagining the events of the crime (in sensu) (Craig Sprang, 2010). However, psychotherapy work with torture victims is potentially harmful to the therapist and can lead to compassion fatigue although working through the traumatic events experienced by a sufferer of PTSD seems to be beneficial to the client.Undeniably, empathy allows counselors to relate to others in their care and to have a whiz of what their clients are feeling. Moreover, it also helps the counselors to put the clients experiences into location and understanding how the clients are being affected by the incidents which the counselors are arduous to mediate (Meadors et al., 2009). In brief, in an effective counseling, empathy understanding is incumbent. Besides that, counselors, by the real nature of their work, are called on to be compassionate toward their clients on a quotidian foothold (Meadors et al., 2009 Pickett, Brennan, Greenberg, Licht, Worrell, 1994). However, the more compassionate and empathetic a counselor is toward the suffering of the traumatized person, the more compromising that counselor is to compassion fatigue. It is due to compassion fatigue is based on the idea of a syndrome resulting specifically from empathizing with people who are experiencing pain and suffering counselor can become overwhelmed and may begin to experience feelings of fear, pain and suffering similar to that of their clients (Figley, 2002 Meadors et al., 2009).As Alkema et al. (2008) pointed out, the common situations of counselor that can lead to compassion fatigue take on 1) listening to stories of child abuse 2) working with suicidal ideation, 3) interacting with the terminally laid up(predicate) 4) responding with humanitarian aid in situations like disaster, poverty, or wa r 5) caring for families with an injured or dying child 6) providing support for survivors of rape and 7) providing function for bereaved families.It is meaning(a) to note that the wiz of being overwhelmed or exposure to compassion fatigue is subjective, meaning that what overwhelms one counselor, may not ineluctably overwhelm another. Additionally, even one story that overwhelms the counselors ability to make sense of the event, can lead to compassion fatigue symptoms (Alkema et al., 2008 Bush, 2009). Therefore, it is demand for the counselor to recognize compassion fatigue symptoms in themselves and their coworkers in turn to provide any emergency aid if needed.1.5 Symptoms of compassion fatigueThe symptoms of compassion fatigue set out in book depending on counselor characteristics and the characteristics of the client population. The resulting symptoms of compassion fatigue typically have an acute onset and are usually associated with a particular event (Stamm, 2005). Sy mptoms may include being afraid, having intrusive images reckon the persons attention, having trouble sleeping, or avoiding situations that remind the individual of the event (Tehrani, 2010).Moreover, compassion fatigue can have negative impact on spiritual development of counselor due to in some cases, counselor are psychologically bombarded by the traumatic recollections, emotional suffering, and psychological pain brought by their clients into session. A counselor might begin doubting his/her values, might express fretfulness or bitterness toward God, and begin withdrawing from fellowship (Udipi et al., 2008). Furthermore, the range of counselor behaviors indicating compassion fatigue can include spending less time with clients, being late and absent from work, reservation professional errors, being hypercritical of others, making sarcastic and cynical comments about clients and the organization, abusing chemicals, and keeping poor records (Stewart, 2009 Tehrani, 2010). In add ition, compassion fatigue also can manifest as physical symptoms such as rapid pulse, sleep disturbance, fatigue, reduced resistance to infection, weakness and dizziness, remembrance problems, weight change, gastrointestinal complaints, hypertension, and head-aches, backaches, or muscle aches (Meadors et al., 2009)According to Stewart (2009), for people exposed to primary stressors (i.e., client) and for those exposed to secondary stressors, there is a fundamental rest between the pattern of response during and following the traumatic event. Researches indicate the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) or compassion fatigue is nearly identical to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), except that PTSD symptoms are directly connected to the sufferer (e.g., client), yet STSD symptoms is associated with a exposure to knowledge about traumatizing event experienced by the people who care (e.g., counselor). Moreover, as Fidley (2002) pointed out, symptoms of compassion fatigue can be divided into categories of intrusive, avoidance, and arousal symptoms.Table 1 Compassion fatigue symptomsIntrusive SymptomsThoughts and images associated with clients traumatic experiencesObsessive and compulsive trust to help certain clientsClient/work issues encroaching upon personal timeInability to let go of work-related mattersPerception of survivors as fragile and needing the supporter of the health care providerThoughts and feelings of inadequacy as a caregiverSense of entitlement or specialnessPerception of the world in terms of victims and perpetratorsPersonal activities disrupt by work-related issuesAvoidance SymptomsSilencing Response (avoiding hearing/witnessing clients traumatic material)Loss of enjoyment in activities/cessation of self-care activitiesLoss of energyLoss of hope/sense of dread working with certain clientsLoss of sense of competence/ potentialIsolationSecretive self-medication/addiction (alcohol, drugs, work, sex, food, spending, etc.) Relational dysfunctionArousal Symptoms change magnitude anxietyImpulsivity/reactivityIncreased perception of demand/threat (in both job and environment)Increased frustration/angerSleep disturbance problem concentratingChange in weight/appetiteSomatic symptoms1.6 Measuring compassion fatigueIt is essential to assess for compassion fatigue symptoms in the caregiver especially for counselors who work with those traumatized clients (Hofmann, 2009 Stamm, 2005) Thus, certain reliable instrument is needed to use to measure the degree of compassion fatigue in counselors. It is mainly due to through the scoring of the instrument, it can give the counselor valuable feedback or insight of their photograph level to compassion fatigue (Adams et al., 2008 Stamm, 2005). Besides that, an enquiry of the history of the counselor is also a critical step in treating compassion fatigue as researchers have found that a personal history of a traumatic experience can contribute to the experience of compa ssion fatigue (Adams, Figley, Boscarino, 2008). Thus, compassion fatigue counselors can take care their co-workers to examine the role that their previous traumatic material has on making them vulnerable to the experience of compassion fatigue. For instance, the Professional Quality of Life Scale Compassion Satisfaction and Subscales (ProQOL) have been widely used in assessing secondary/vicarious trauma (Bride, Radey, Figley, 2007).Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) ProQOL is a 30 item self-report measure to assess the dimensions compassion satisfaction, burn-out and compassion fatigue (APPENDIX A). The compassion satisfaction dimension (CS) measures pleasure derived from being able to do the daily work swell up where higher scores on this scale represent a greater satisfaction related to ones ability to be an effective caregiver. Besides that, the burnout dimension (BO) in this scale is associated with feelings of hopelessness and difficulties in dealing with work. hi gh-pitcheder scores are related to higher risk for burnout. Moreover, the compassion fatigue dimension (CF) relates to work-related secondary exposure to extremely stressful events. High scores indicate that ones are exposed to frightening experiences at work. The of import reliabilities for the scales are 1) Compassion Satisfaction alpha = .87, 2) Burnout alpha = .72 and 3) Compassion Fatigue alpha = .80. Additionally, the construct validity upon which the test is based is well effected with over 200 articles noted in the peer-review literature. Using the multi-trait multi-method mode for confluent and discriminant validity the scales on the ProQOL do, in fact, measure different constructs (Adams et al., 2008 Bride et al., 2007).1.7 Consequences of compassion fatigueResearches have indicated for those counselors who have the greatest capacity for feeling and expressing empathy are at the greatest risk from experiencing secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue (Alkema et al., 2008). Furthermore, it has been recognized that counselors suffering from compassion fatigue may be engaged in impaired or wrong practice. Those counselors may become worried with their patients/clients and exhibit signs and symptoms that are not beneficial to optimal patient/client care. It can negatively affect the ability to provide run and maintain personal and professional relationships (Craig Sprang, 2010).When a counselor is suffering from compassion fatigue, he or shes ability to listen with empathy becomes compromised, the counselor may unconsciously avoid the traumatic material brought by the client in an trial to maintain the integrity of the counselors world view (Alkema et al., 2008 Bride et al., 2007). For instance, the counselor will tend to remain silent when he or she is unable to attend to the clients traumatic material. Instead, the counselor will redirects the conversation to less disturbing material that is more pleasant to them (Alkema et al., 2008).Mo reover, as Adam et al. (2006) pointed out, counselors who are suffering from compassion fatigue may hurt their clients by placing their own of necessity above the needs of the clients. They may tend to avoid the discussion of the traumatic content as a means of protecting themselves from further exposure. According to Bride et al. (2006), avoidance of clients traumatic issue in counseling comprise a degree of unethical practice as it further isolates the client in his or her psychological pain and suffering. As a result, the counseling alliance may be damage and will lead to further suffering for the client and puts the counselor itself at risk for injuring other clients. Besides that, it is important to note that counselor with compassion fatigue is more likely to develop a sense of isolation, exhaustion and professional dissatisfaction. Therefore, compassion fatigue has the potential to rob the professional of his or her sense of well-being if left unaddressed (Alkema et al., 2008 Craig Sprang, 2010 Figley, 2002).PREVENTIONS AND INTERVENTIONSAfter years of clinical practice, counselors are being confronted with tragedies of life and depression (Hofmann, 2009). Therefore, they are at high risk of accumulated pain and sadness. Thus, if without an appropriate way or the time to have positive experiences, it will increase the risk of compassion fatigue and distancing (Kinzel Nanson, 2000 Newsom, 2010). For that reason, the need for some kind of structured prevention, support, and strengthening processes is necessary in order to help the counselor to deal with indirect traumatization.Among the intervention methods, debrief sessions are a good way to help a counselor with compassion fatigue decompress and normalize what they are experiencing (Kinzel Nanson, 2000 Pickett et al., 1994). During debriefing session, traumatic incident is discussed in a structured group meeting. Through debriefing, it can help the counselor to address the immediate psychological impa ct that he or she experienced from the client. Thus, through discussing and seeking assistance from other colleagues and caregivers who have had experience with trauma and have remained healthy and hopeful, it can assist the counselor to alleviate the traumatic symptoms (Pickett et al., 1994).In addition, the importance of regular professional control, before and after traumatic events, has been identified as essential, as is proceed education and training (Kinzel Nanson, 2000 Meadors et al., 2009). It is due to for the purpose to promote long-term make do with the consequences of the traumatic events, continuity of the supervision and training program is necessary. Moreover, the aim of supervision is to explore and reduce the impact of the painful client material on the counselors thinking and emotions. In the United Kingdom, personal supervision is a professional requirement for counselors and it may be provided by a clinical supervisor, manager, or peer (Kinzel Nanson, 2000) .According to pre-existing studies, it had been recognized that self-hypnosis have beneficial effects on immune control, enhanced mood and well-being (Martin et al., 2010 Mottern, 2010 Ruysschaert, 2003). Besides that, clinical experience with clients and therapists reports also indicated that ones can recovering and lowering their overall level of stress through self-hypnosis (Martin et al., 2010). Therefore, self-hypnosis is an effective tool to help counselor in preventing compassion fatigue or in promoting compassion satisfaction. In stress management, counselors ability to let go do play a very important role in stress-resistance or resilience. Figley (1995) also sees let-it-go as an important aspect in the reduction of compassionate stress. Therefore, in effective counseling, it is important for the counselor to find ways to create some distance from the emotional pain that they experienced from their clients. According to Morttern (2010), practicing self-hypnosis in a regular basis is important step in promoting self- consciousness and temporarily distancing oneself from the outside world. For instance, it is possible for the counselor who suffered from compassion fatigue letting go of intrusions and thoughts indirectly by imagining thoughts as clouds, coming and going, and just noticing what happens (Mottern, 2010).Furthermore, counselors have to increase their own self awareness and live a healthy, balanced lifestyle in order decreases their vulnerability from compassion fatigue (Figley, 2002 Prati Pietrantoni, 2009). For instance, counselors can increase their self awareness by knowing their own triggers and vulnerable areas and learn to defuse them or avoid them (Bride et al., 2007). Besides that, counselors have to realize that normal responses to abnormal situations is true for helpers as well as victims. Thus, they should allow themselves to grieve when bad things happen to others (Figley, 2002). Moreover, it is essential for the counselors to s et boundaries for themselves by develop realistic expectations about the rewards as well as the limitations of helping (Prati Pietrantoni, 2009). In brief, they have to become aware of any irrational beliefs that impair their well being throughout the helping process. run short but not least, diversions and recreation that allow the counselor to take mini-escapes from the intensity of their work is absolutely essential to avoid from compassion fatigue (Alkema et al., 2008). Researches indicate that those that have the ability to turn their thoughts about work off are more resilient throughout their career (Alkema et al., 2008 Figley, 2002). For instance, counselors can express their feelings through writing in a journal, music or art.CONCLUSIONCounselors put down themselves in the helping profession because they want to assist other in need. Yet, counselors can become so overwhelmed by the exposure to the feelings and experiences of their clients and leave them vulnerable for comp assion fatigue. Compassion fatigue, if left untreated, can spark a deadening of personality and generate a decline in general health of the counselors. Thus, it is of vital importance to treat the helpers or counselors with compassion fatigue so that it do not reach a absurd situation where clients/victims are treated and helped, but those who help them experience such burnout that they can no longer function as mental health care providers or even continue their own life patterns as usual. Therefore, counselors and every mental health professionals must note and address the prevention steps in order to prevent compassion fatigue. In brief, compassion fatigue is a serious problem among members of the helping professions, but counselors will be able to get through it by acknowledging it, and staying connected to the good in their own life.