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BurnoutInfoWork · Health · Recovery
Understand Burnout

Burnout vs Compassion Fatigue

By · Updated · 2 min read

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At a glance

Compassion fatigue is used to describe strain associated with caring for others, sometimes including secondary traumatic stress. Burnout can occur in any job and does not require exposure to another person's trauma.

Clarify what the term means

People use compassion fatigue in different ways, so ask which experience is being described. Is the main difficulty relentless workload, feeling emotionally emptied after caring, or distressing reactions to traumatic material? The response depends on that distinction.

For example, a support worker overwhelmed by caseload volume may need staffing changes. A worker experiencing intrusive memories after repeated accounts of violence may also need trauma-informed assessment. Both deserve support; neither is evidence of being an uncaring person.

Examine exposure and recovery separately

  • Identify the intensity and frequency of difficult encounters, including calls and documentation.
  • Look at access to supervision, safe breaks and rotation away from highly distressing tasks.
  • Ask whether there is confidential support outside performance management.
  • Notice symptoms that continue away from work, such as nightmares or avoidance.

Choose support that fits

Use the guide to burnout and PTSD when trauma symptoms are part of the picture. For exhaustion related to sustained caring demands, review emotional labour and caseload design. Supervision should allow practical discussion without requiring workers to disclose traumatic experiences publicly or prove they are distressed enough to qualify for help.

Sources and further reading

  1. CDC/NIOSH: healthcare workers, stress and burnout
  2. NIMH: post-traumatic stress disorder

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