A systematic review of the measurement of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and secondary traumatic stress in physicians.

Abstract

Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatisation and secondary traumatic stress, are all terms used to describe the potential emotional impact on health professionals of working with traumatised patients and clients. These terms are often used interchangeably although recent thinking supports some differences. The consequence of experiencing emotional distress as a result of patient contact is not less in physicians than in other health care professionals. However, these constructs have received little attention in the physician work force. This article reports on a systematic review of literature that reported one or more of these three constructs and as well as including attempts to measure them.