Staff self-relating as a predictor of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction, and the predictive influence of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction on ward climate in a secure hospital

The first paper is a scoping review that explored burnout in peer workers who work in mental health settings. Ten relevant articles were identified following a systematic search of the literature. The review found overall burnout symptoms in peer workers to be low to moderate, which is the same as comparable mental health clinicians, and in some studies burnout, symptoms were lower in peer workers. The review summarised individual and organisational factors that influenced burnout in peer workers. There is a need to further understand the factors influencing burnout symptoms in this growing workforce, so that appropriate support structures can be put in place. The potential usefulness of systemic interventions for burnout symptoms was also discussed.

The second paper is a cross-sectional, quantitative study that examined whether selfrelating constructs—self-criticism and self-reassurance—predicted compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in forensic mental health professionals (FMHPs). The second aim of the study was to investigate whether compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction predicted therapeutic ward climate. 51 FMHPs from a low and medium secure unit in the UK were recruited for the study and completed a demographic questionnaire and three measures to assess the study variables. Five multiple regressions were conducted. The study found “moderate” self-criticism and self-reassurance, “moderate” compassion fatigue, and “high” compassion satisfaction amongst the participants. Self-criticism was the only significant predictor of compassion fatigue, with “high” self-criticism predicting “high” compassion fatigue. Moreover, “high” compassion fatigue significantly predicted “low” perceived ward safety. The findings indicate the need for further research to understand the individual and organisational factors that influence wellbeing of FMHPs to inform effective interventions that are adapted to the unique needs of the setting.

The third paper is an executive summary of the empirical study that was written for FMHPs at the participating sites. A group of FMHPs were consulted to ensure the document was accessible and useful for the intended audience. Their contributions were extremely 8 valuable, and changes were made based on their feedback.