Compassion Fatigue Research Paper

When writing a research paper there are several steps in the process and a problem formulation or statement should reflect what is being proven or measured from the topic or subject that is researched. This paper will identify the problem which is Are social workers at a higher-risk for compassion fatigue or burnout because of job stress? Or social workers are at a higher-risk for compassion fatigue or burnout because of job related stress. Furthermore, a brief description of what will be investigated will also be discussed such as the warning signs of compassion fatigue and burnout to name one example. In addition, the areas of social work that are affected by compassion fatigue are a social worker’s health and well-being along with job performance

will be examined.

1.4 Research Topic Proposal and Problem Statement
The research topic that has been chosen is compassion fatigue and burnout that occurs in several different occupations, however, there is a difference between the two and similarities in the symptoms also.

Occupations that can be affected include nurses, social workers, and care givers because all of these occupations can be stressful or cause compassion fatigue and burnout.

Problem Identification

When looking at the problem which is are social workers at a higher-risk of compassion fatigue or burnout because of occupational stress? Different questions come to mind such as what occupations have a high risk of stress and what causes it? However, there are several jobs that can be stressful such as firemen, police, emergency workers, and doctors to name a few examples. In addition, many occupations can cause job burnout but what contributes to this and what can be done to prevent it? Compassion fatigue is different but has many of the symptoms that are similar to burnout, however, there is a difference. According to Dr. Charles Figley, 2013, compassion fatigue is “a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper." The symptoms of compassion fatigue in normal individuals can include “excessive blaming,

bottled up emotions, and poor self-care and organizational symptoms of compassion fatigue include high absenteeism, constant changes in co-workers relationships, and inability for teams to work well together” (CFAP, 2013, p.1).
Furthermore, burnout is defined as “burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest.

There are twelve phases of burnout which include a compulsion to prove oneself, working harder, neglecting one's own needs, and withdrawal” to name a few examples. (SAMHSA, 2009, p.1). Compassion fatigue can also have commonalities with PTSD and understanding the differences is important because compassion fatigue is a secondary stress issue and post-traumatic stress syndrome is a serious mental health issue. Similarities between compassion fatigue and burnout are some of the symptoms may overlap but they are separate disorders. When reflecting upon these disorders some other questions that can be asked are what causes these problems in social work? How can social workers protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout? Secondary trauma can be caused from dealing with the effects of dealing with other people’s problems on a daily basis and burnout can be caused from stresses related to the job

itself.
Area to be investigated
The areas that will be investigated are the ethical issues that are involved in social work and how impairment is a part of the Code of Ethics in social work.
4.05 Impairment
(a) Social workers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility (NASW, 2006).
(b) Social workers whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others (NASW, 2006).
A social worker who suffers from any impairment needs to get help because their professional judgement and job performance could affect the clients that they help. It is unethical to treat clients if a person is unable to perform the job or is impaired in any way because it could do harm to the people that we help not to mention all the other problems it could cause with co-workers or the organizations we work for and represent. A person that is incapable of doing their job should not be working and if they are than they need to be reported because the Code of Conduct and Ethics is not being followed. The Unethical Conduct of Colleagues is also stated in the Code of Ethics and here is a few things stated.
2.11 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues
(a) Social workers should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues (NASW, 2006).
(b) Social workers should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues’ unethical behavior. Social workers should be familiar with national, state, and local procedures for handling ethics complaints. These include policies and procedures created by NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, employers, agencies, and other professional organizations. (NASW, 2006).
If someone suffers from any impairment which could include compassion fatigue or burnout it is the ethical responsibility of the co-workers to protect others because of harm that could be caused from someone who is not mentally healthy to be working.
Statement of the areas of social work that research focuses on positively affecting.
A high risk of compassion fatigue and burnout in social work needs to be addressed because of the ethical matters that are involved in the well-being and health of the social workers that could affect everyone. “Previous literature reveals that mental health professionals are at an extremely high risk for burnout and compassion fatigue (Christopher & Maris, 2010). As the clinician engages the client there is often indirect exposure to client trauma, which naturally creates the risk of “significant emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes in the clinician” (Bride, Radey, & Figley, 2007, p.160). As a result, this can cause issues such as a social worker’s ability to concentrate, pay attention, and affect decision-making that is important when working with clients and others in the workplace. “It has also been noted that idealistic, highly motivated, and highly empathic helpers are at greater risk for burnout due to the lack of clear boundaries as to what their role consists of and the disappointment if they feel they are not moving toward their care goals or are ineffective in changing the environment to do so” (Bush, 2009).
Doing research on compassion fatigue and burnout in social work can positively affect the outcomes of social workers who are at risk and bring attention to the topic for people to take notice. Addressing these topics can help provide information to educators, organizations, and social workers about ways to prevent and help with information about the signs and symptoms and causes of these disorders and find ways to prevent and correct the wellness of social workers throughout the world.

References
Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project (2013). Recognizing Compassion Fatigue.
Retrieved from http://www.compassionfatigue.org/pages/symptoms.html.
Decker, J. T., Constantine Brown, J. L., Ong, J., & Stiney-Ziskind, C. A. (2015). Mindfulness, Compassion Fatigue, and Compassion Satisfaction among Social Work Interns. Social Work & Christianity, 42(1), 28-42.
NASW. (2006). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://www.naswdc.org/pubs/code/code.asp.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2009). Support Dealing with Stress in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://toolkit.ahpnet.com/Dealing- with-Stress-in-the-Workplace/Introduction--Compassion-Fatigue-and-Burnout /Burnout.aspx#_edn2.