The influence of coping and stressors on burnout and compassion fatigue among health care professionals

This article reviews research literature on the occupational stress syndromes of burnout and compassion fatigue. Although burnout and compassion fatigue are two distinct syndromes, in human service occupations the risk factors for each syndrome overlap somewhat. This is due to the fact that human service workers are simultaneously confronted with demands characteristic of modern day organisational life, as well as with the emotional demands inherent in their work. Despite this, few studies have concurrently investigated these syndromes. This review therefore aims to highlight the similarities and differences between the antecedents and consequences of burnout and compassion fatigue by examining past and current theoretical conceptualisations of these syndromes.