Compassion Fatigue Score Calculator

Compassion fatigue is a state of exhaustion and reduced ability to empathize resulting from repeated exposure to others' suffering. It commonly affects healthcare workers, social workers, therapists, emergency responders and family caregivers. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale, developed by Beth Hudnall Stamm, is the most widely used research instrument for measuring compassion fatigue and its counterpart, compassion satisfaction.

Burnout develops from cumulative workplace stress (workload, organizational factors). Compassion fatigue specifically stems from the emotional cost of caring for others who are suffering. It includes secondary traumatic stress (indirect trauma exposure) and may develop rapidly after a single traumatic event involving a patient or care recipient, whereas burnout accumulates gradually.

Those at highest risk include nurses, physicians, social workers, therapists, emergency services personnel, hospice workers, and family caregivers. Research published in the journal Traumatology and cited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that 40-85% of helping professionals will develop compassion fatigue at some point in their careers.

Compassion satisfaction is the positive fulfillment derived from helping others effectively. It acts as a protective factor against compassion fatigue. High compassion satisfaction is associated with lower burnout and secondary traumatic stress. The ProQOL scale measures both simultaneously to give a complete picture of caregiver wellbeing.

Evidence-based interventions include regular clinical supervision or peer support, structured self-care plans, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), clear professional role boundaries, adequate rest and recovery, meaning-making practices, and organizational support programs. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Education System offers compassion fatigue resilience training programs.