Burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction: Relationships with the treatment of individuals with personality disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between the treatment of people diagnosed with Personality Disorders and the experiences of burnout, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue among mental health professionals. Thirty-six mental health professionals completed a self-report survey using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale and indicated the percentage of individuals with Personality Disorders on their current caseloads. The results indicated that, on average, the mental health professionals had low levels of burnout and compassion fatigue and high levels of compassion satisfaction. Additional results indicated a significant positive relationship between the treatment of individuals diagnosed with Personality Disorders and compassion fatigue. Trends were apparent for burnout and compassion satisfaction. Future research should include a larger and more diverse sample. Implications for social work practice and policy are that there should be more focus on self-care strategies for mental health professions treating a high percentage of individuals diagnosed with Personality Disorders.