Compassion stress injury signs and symptoms

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CSI has symptoms similar to those associated with post-traumatic stress. Symptoms include:

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• Re-experiencing personal trauma, intrusive imagery or noticing an increase in arousal and avoidance reactions related to the indirect trauma exposure

• Changes in memory and perception

• Reduced sense of self-efficacy, including feelings of powerlessness and helplessness

• A depletion of personal resources

• Pre-occupation with the traumatised individual, including poor boundaries, an inability to switch off and sleeplessness.  Alternatively, becoming cynical or numb to others’ needs

• Disturbing emotions, e.g. sadness, hopelessness, guilt and frustration

• Hypervigilance and disruption in perceptions of safety, trust, and independence.

• Change in world-view – loss of belief in something greater and the belief that the world is a dangerous place

 

In essence, CSI disrupts our fundamental sense of who we are, who others are, and our sense of safety and security. Feeling this way means we’re likely to have less psychological availability to focus on others’ needs as we’re caught up in the need for self-protection. 

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The relevance of CSI to educators

 

Schools have a significant role to play in supporting the welfare needs of their pupils, families, staff, and wider school community.  School staff are regularly the first professionals turned to for support and advice when adversity and trauma are experienced due to their relative ease of access and existing relationships. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Challenges reported include higher levels of child mental health concerns, increased levels of domestic violence within families, financial hardship, health concerns, bereavement, and even greater difficulty accessing traditional support services (e.g., health and social care) due to funding cuts and raised thresholds. In addition, school staff regularly work with children and young people who have additional learning and communication needs; social, emotional and mental health needs; and physical disabilities.

 

Factors that can contribute to CSI in educators

 

• Hearing/knowing about others’ adversity and/or trauma

• Witnessing an upsetting or traumatic event or its impact

• Immersion, particularly for class teachers who may not have an option of removing themselves from distressing situations or the opportunity to take even a few moments to recover

• Significant relationships with the distressed person due to the amount of time spent with them each week and in a relationship that may last for years, or in some cases, generations

• Not being able to stop another’s suffering, e.g., due to lack of time, resources (including knowledge) and demands of teaching more generally; and opportunities to resolve being beyond their control/power, for instance, when external agencies deem that the need doesn't meet their thresholds, or they have long waiting lists

• Contributing to decisions that they know may be unpopular or that have a significant impact on others’ wellbeing, which can lead to doubts about whether they’ve made the ‘right’ decision or concerns about the ‘what ifs’

• The often ‘ad hoc’ nature of needs and disclosures.  This can have knock-on consequences, e.g., hard to plan and prepare which can reduce feelings of competence and control and increases risk of shock; adds to workload; impacts on the ability to focus on teaching/leadership activities and other work roles which come with their own stresses and strains.

• Feeling incompetent or fear of making things worse due to little or no specific training, and limited resources to meet additional needs of the students and their families

• Conflict often felt between ‘caring’ (acting in the pupil’s best interests) and the need to ‘perform’ (meet often unrealistic and non-contextual targets linked to academic progress) to protect their own role, job or even career

• Trying to meet simultaneous demands of ‘one’ (or more commonly more) versus ‘the rest’

• High workload, so no recovery time or time to connect socially with others or to meet own needs

• Not being aware of the concept of CSI (or not differentiating it from burnout) and not having the shared vocabulary/language to discuss it, or not recognising that CSI is a natural consequence and not a personal weakness

• Thinking that they'll be judged as being unable to cope, so not seeking help

• Not having mitigatory measures in place

• The cumulative impact of one or more of the above, or severe shock from a one-off extreme event, particularly if there is a personal history of trauma.

 

All of these factors are known to increase risk of experiencing CSI in other sectors.  But the good news is that we also know from other sectors that there are things that can be done to reduce these risks.  Although measures need to be taken at systemic and organisational level, there are things that individuals can do reduce the risk of CSI.

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