Treatment of compasion fatigue with internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy

Abstract

Compassion fatigue is a phenomenon regarding the psychological impact of bearing witness to the ongoing suffering of clients when working in a helping profession. Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, professional burnout, and vicarious trauma are terms used interchangeably to explain this phenomenon. Compassion fatigue is the unique experience of those working in helping professions as it combines the emotional impact of secondary trauma exposure but also the frustrations and burnout related to the limitations to helping. Left untreated compassion fatigue can result in mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. The Online Therapy Unit is a psychology lab at the University of Regina for research, education and service delivery. The Wellbeing Course is an online transdiagnostic treatment course based on cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression offered by the Online Therapy Unit. The purpose of this research project was to recommend specific adaptations that could be made to the current course, such as inclusion of specific trauma content and self-care strategies, that make the course a viable treatment option for helping professionals experiencing anxiety and depression stemming from compassion fatigue. Psycho-education about the components of compassion fatigue would make the course an appropriate treatment option. This research project is a qualitative exploratory study and includes a literature review, findings from experiential learning, content analysis of the Wellbeing Course and analysis of secondary data.