Minimising compassion fatigue in obstetrics/gynaecology doctors: exploring an intervention for an occupational hazard

• Published in: Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Vol. 25; no. 4; p. 403
• Main Authors: Allen, Rosemary, Watt, Felice, Jansen, Brendan, Coghlan, Edwina, Nathan, Elizabeth A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Burnout, Professional; Compassion Fatigue; Gynecology; Humans; Obstetrics; Physicians; Surveys and Questionnaires; physicians; vicarious trauma; compassion satisfaction; secondary traumatic stress; compassion fatigue; burnout; intervention
• DOI: 10.1177/1039856217700776

To explore the indicators of occupational stress in a group of obstetrics and gynaecology doctors and to investigate the impact of work-focused discussion groups over a 6 month period. The ProQOL questionnaire was used to measure the efficacy of monthly psychiatrist-led Balint style discussion groups on minimising Compassion Fatigue (consisting of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout). The 25 doctors were given the given the ProQOL questionnaire to complete: (a) at the initiation of the intervention in July 2015, (b) in October 2015, and (c) in December 2015. Significantly decreased levels of Secondary Traumatic Stress ( p=0.008), Burnout ( p=0.010), as well as significantly increased rates of Compassion Satisfaction ( p=0.035) were recorded. Participants requested that the groups be continued. Psychiatrist-led work focused discussion groups were associated with improved rates of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in this sample group.