Frailty, compassion fatigue and burnout in mental health professionals. The importance of educating to care for the emotional life

Abstract

Professionals provide patients with mental health care mainly through the relationship, which some-times elicits very intense and destabilizing emotions and feelings. Burnout and compassion fatigue can therefore occur, especially in those who, as the social workers, are in close and constant contact with patients. Compassion fatigue involves reducing the ability of the professional to be empathetic or to stay connected with the patient’s grief. On the other hand, according to the literature, perceived quality of meetings and training, in addition to perception of an absence/reduction of risks for the future, seem to be the main factors that influence professionals’ satisfaction. Interventions to prevent/reduce burnout and compassion fatigue largely fall within the sphere of awareness and the meaning making process. The latter is mainly pursued through storytelling and writing, which are fundamental strategies in training healthcare professionals to self-care.