Care for the Caregiver: What Works, What Doesn't

摘要

Review definition by Figley (2005) Compassion fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people in distress; An extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it is traumatizing for the helper; The helper, in contrast to the person(s) being helped, is traumatized or suffers through the helper's own efforts to empathize and be compassionate; Often, this leads to poor self care and extreme self sacrifice in the process of helping; Together, this leads to compassion fatigue and symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).