Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: The Role of Mental Health, Work Experience, Loneliness and Other Trauma in Compassion Fatigue in the Healthcare Workforces

The demand for mental health services, specifically trauma-informed care, is growing, such that there are not enough providers to meet the need. In addition, and for healthcare workers in general, there are high levels of burnout. There is urgent need to understand the current landscape of well-being, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout among the healthcare workforce for those that diligently served throughout the pandemic and that continue to support recovery. The purpose of this brief report is to explore associations among anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout on a pilot sample of healthcare workers (N = 51). Almost half reported moderate to severe burnout and a quarter reported anxiety, depression, or both. Work experience, loneliness, and other traumas contributed to mental health and compassion fatigue. Consistent with other disasters, once the threat dissipates, mental health professionals take a pivotal role in recovery and continued increases in secondary traumatic stress and burnout is probable. Adequate supports within the workplace environment are needed to contest ongoing burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and provider well-being.