PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE (PROQOL) COMPASSION SATISFACTION AND COMPASSION FATIGUE (PROQOL) VERSION 5 (2009) When you [help] people you have direct contact with their lives. As you may have found, your compassion for those you [help] can affect you in positive and negative ways. Below are some questions about your experiences, both positive and negative, as a [helper]. Consider each of the following questions about you and your current work situation. Select the number that honestly reflects how frequently you experienced these things in the last 30 days. 1=Never 2=Rarely 3=Sometimes 4=Often 5=Very Often 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I am happy. I am preoccupied with more than one person I [help]. I get satisfaction from being able to [help] people. I feel connected to others. I jump or am startled by unexpected sounds. I feel invigorated after working with those I [help]. I find it difficult to separate my personal life from my life as a [helper]. I am not as productive at work because I am losing sleep over traumatic experiences of a person I [help]. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. I think that I might have been affected by the traumatic stress of those I [help]. I feel trapped by my job as a [helper]. Because of my [helping], I have felt "on edge" about various things. I like my work as a [helper]. I feel depressed because of the traumatic experiences of the people I [help]. I feel as though I am experiencing the trauma of someone I have [helped]. I have beliefs that sustain me. I am pleased with how I am able to keep up with [helping] techniques and protocols. I am the person I always wanted to be. My work makes me feel satisfied. I feel worn out because of my work as a [helper]. I have happy thoughts and feelings about those I [help] and how I could help them. I feel overwhelmed because my case [work] load seems endless. I believe I can make a difference through my work. I avoid certain activities or situations because they remind me of frightening experiences of the people I [help]. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. I am proud of what I can do to [help]. As a result of my [helping], I have intrusive, frightening thoughts. I feel "bogged down" by the system. I have thoughts that I am a "success" as a [helper]. I can't recall important parts of my work with trauma victims. I am a very caring person. I am happy that I chose to do this work. © B. Hudnall Stamm, 2009-2012. Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL). www.proqol.org. This test may be freely copied as long as (a) author is credited, (b) no changes are made, and (c) it is not sold. Those interested in using the test should visit www.proqol.org to verify that the copy they are using is the most current version of the test. 1 YOUR SCORES ON THE PROQOL: PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE SCREENING Based on your responses, place your personal scores below. If you have any concerns, you should discuss them with a physical or mental health care professional. Compassion Satisfaction _____________ Compassion satisfaction is about the pleasure you derive from being able to do your work well. For example, you may feel like it is a pleasure to help others through your work. You may feel positively about your colleagues or your ability to contribute to the work setting or even the greater good of society. Higher scores on this scale represent a greater satisfaction related to your ability to be an effective caregiver in your job. The average score is 50 (SD 10; alpha scale reliability .88). About 25% of people score higher than 57 and about 25% of people score below 43. If you are in the higher range, you probably derive a good deal of professional satisfaction from your position. If your scores are below 40, you may either find problems with your job, or there may be some other reason—for example, you might derive your satisfaction from activities other than your job. Burnout_____________ Most people have an intuitive idea of what burnout is. From the research perspective, burnout is one of the elements of Compassion Fatigue (CF). It is associated with feelings of hopelessness and difficulties in dealing with work or in doing your job effectively. These negative feelings usually have a gradual onset. They can reflect the feeling that your efforts make no difference, or they can be associated with a very high workload or a non-supportive work environment. Higher scores on this scale mean that you are at higher risk for burnout. The average score on the burnout scale is 50 (SD 10; alpha scale reliability .75). About 25% of people score above 57 and about 25% of people score below 43. If your score is below 43, this probably reflects positive feelings about your ability to be effective in your work. If you score above 57 you may wish to think about what at work makes you feel like you are not effective in your position. Your score may reflect your mood; perhaps you were having a “bad day” or are in need of some time off. If the high score persists or if it is reflective of other worries, it may be a cause for concern. Secondary Traumatic Stress_____________ The second component of Compassion Fatigue (CF) is secondary traumatic stress (STS). It is about your work related, secondary exposure to extremely or traumatically stressful events. Developing problems due to exposure to other’s trauma is somewhat rare but does happen to many people who care for those who have experienced extremely or traumatically stressful events. For example, you may repeatedly hear stories about the traumatic things that happen to other people, commonly called Vicarious Traumatization. If your work puts you directly in the path of danger, for example, field work in a war or area of civil violence, this is not secondary exposure; your exposure is primary. However, if you are exposed to others’ traumatic events as a result of your work, for example, as a therapist or an emergency worker, this is secondary exposure. The symptoms of STS are usually rapid in onset and associated with a particular event. They may include being afraid, having difficulty sleeping, having images of the upsetting event pop into your mind, or avoiding things that remind you of the event. The average score on this scale is 50 (SD 10; alpha scale reliability .81). About 25% of people score below 43 and about 25% of people score above 57. If your score is above 57, you may want to take some time to think about what at work may be frightening to you or if there is some other reason for the elevated score. While higher scores do not mean that you do have a problem, they are an indication that you may want to examine how you feel about your work and your work environment. You may wish to discuss this with your supervisor, a colleague, or a health care professional. © B. Hudnall Stamm, 2009-2012. Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL). www.proqol.org. This test may be freely copied as long as (a) author is credited, (b) no changes are made, and (c) it is not sold. Those interested in using the test should visit www.proqol.org to verify that the copy they are using is the most current version of the test. 2 WHAT IS MY SCORE AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN? In this section, you will score your test so you understand the interpretation for you. To find your score on each section, total the questions listed on the left and then find your score in the table on the right of the section. Compassion Satisfaction Scale Copy your rating on each of these questions on to this table and add them up. When you have added then up you can find your score on the table to the right. 3. 6. 12. 16. 18. 20. 22. 24. 27. 30. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ T o t a l : _____ The sum of my Compassion Satisfaction questions is So My Score Equals And my Compassion Satisfaction level is 22 or less 43 or less Low Between 23 and 41 Around 50 Average 42 or more 57 or more High The sum of my Burnout Questions is So my score equals And my Burnout level is 22 or less 43 or less Low Between 23 and 41 Around 50 Average 42 or more 57 or more High Burnout Scale On the burnout scale you will need to take an extra step. Starred items are “reverse scored.” If you scored the item 1, write a 5 beside it. The reason we ask you to reverse the scores is because scientifically the measure works better when these questions are asked in a positive way though they can tell us more about their negative form. For example, question 1. “I am happy” tells us more about the effects You Change of helping Wrote to 5 when you 2 4 are not 3 3 happy so 4 2 you reverse 5 1 the score *1. *4. 8. 10. *15. *17. 19. 21. 26. *29. ____ = ____ = ____ ____ ____ = ____ = ____ ____ ____ ____ = ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ T o t a l : _____ Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale Just like you did on Compassion Satisfaction, copy your rating on each of these questions on to this table and add them up. When you have added then up you can find your score on the table to the right. 2. 5. 7. 9. 11. 13. 14. 23. 25. 28. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ T o t a l : _____ The sum of my Secondary Trauma questions is So My Score Equals And my Secondary Traumatic Stress level is 22 or less 43 or less Low Between 23 and 41 Around 50 Average 42 or more 57 or more High © B. Hudnall Stamm, 2009-2012. Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL). www.proqol.org. This test may be freely copied as long as (a) author is credited, (b) no changes are made, and (c) it is not sold. Those interested in using the test should visit www.proqol.org to verify that the copy they are using is the most current version of the test. 3 CASE SCENARIO FAMILY Julio (age 33) and Quianna Riverez (age 30) live in Chicago, Illinois with their five children, ages one, three, four, seven, and 15. Both parents dropped out of high school when Quianna became pregnant with their oldest child, Rico. Initially they lived with Quianna’s parents, later getting an apartment in the Englewood area of the city, where they still currently reside. Right after they moved into their own residence, they were relieved to be on their own, in part due to the chronic conflict between Julio and Quianna’s parents that continues to this day. A few weeks after moving to Englewood, they realized that the violence the neighborhood was known for would make an indelible mark on each of their lives. Julio was shot in the chest when rival gang members fought for turf in front of the family’s apartment. Although he survived, he was left with lingering health issues resulting from extensive scar tissue in his lungs. For her part, Quianna continues to struggle with the emotional impact of Julio’s shooting. Both parents have seen plenty of violence in the vicinity of their home, yet they feel trapped since there is no money for daily necessities, much less relocation. Their feelings of helplessness and fear have intensified since a shoot-out last week left three dead, including a one-year-old infant in a stroller. The incident played out in front of the entire family as they were getting off a city bus. The family narrowly missed being hit by gunfire themselves and had to spend several hours on the scene being interviewed by the police. Julio’s family moved away from Chicago shortly after Rico’s birth. They have returned to the Miami, Florida area since it allows them to see the extended family that immigrated to Miami from Cuba. They are estranged from Julio and Quianna because of the couple’s choice to not marry and their lack of participation in the Catholic Church. Quianna’s family does continue to live in Chicago. Although they are accepting of the couple’s decision to not marry, they resent the fact that the couple does not make an effort to attend family gatherings, and they wish that Quianna had married an African American man to maintain the family’s ethnic and cultural heritage. Julio has great trouble being around Quianna’s family because he thinks they are controlling and they always share unrequested advice that he does not wish to follow. For these reasons and others, the couple receives no social or financial support from either side of the family. Julio currently works two part-time jobs; one is at a local diner where he is a cook, and the other is at a factory, where he works third shift as a maintenance person. Quianna has always stayed home to raise the children. The couple’s finances are not adequate to pay for the necessities of life such as groceries, housing, and utilities. In fact, their utilities were shut off at the beginning of April due to nonpayment. It is becoming increasingly frequent that Julio must walk to and from work due to the family’s inability to pay the fees for public transportation. A major stressor for the couple is that Julio’s original language is Spanish and he continues to struggle to communicate in English. When the couple experiences conflict, Julio often shuts down or leaves the residence due to his challenges in expressing his thoughts and feelings. All of the couple’s children speak English exclusively and Julio feels that this limits his authority as a father. Quianna reports that she is tired all the time and that she is left alone to deal with the children on her own. She reports that she has been particularly fatigued since the birth of her youngest child, Cedric. Adding to her fatigue is her difficulty in sleeping that she attributes to nightmares related to Julio’s shooting years ago, which has been compounded by the recent violence the family witnessed. According to her, all of the children are unruly and she reports not having the energy to deal with them anymore. Quianna holds fond memories of her own childhood when she was intimately connected to and supported by her family. She reminisces about their family gatherings and church-related activities. She wishes that she could provide a similar childhood for her children. She states that she is very concerned about Rico, who has had several run-ins with the law because he repeatedly violates curfew and the police suspect that he is affiliated with a local gang. Rico is often truant and is at high risk for being held back this year. For his part, Rico sees no value in completing high school. He thinks that trying to complete high school is futile and imagines that he will follow in his parents’ footsteps and drop out of school eventually COMMUNITY The Englewood neighborhood of Chicago is located on the city’s south side, approximately seven miles south of the Loop. While most of its residents are African American, there has been an influx of diverse groups. At its height, Englewood had nearly 100,000 residents, but in the past decade or so the population has significantly declined, leaving just over 30,000 residents. The area is plagued by violence, poverty, and unemployment. Numerous gangs operate in the neighborhood. Even those who resist the pressure to affiliate with gangs are at an increased risk of violence. If gang members reside on a block, there exists an assumption among rival gang members that all others who reside on the block are in some way connected to the gang who operates in the area. There have been more than 17 murders in the past year in Englewood, along with countless other shootings, rapes, acts of gang violence, and other types of violence. Despite the negative conditions that exist in the community, there are many residents who have formally organized to address the issues that leave the residents at risk. An example of the community outreach efforts is the online Englewood Portal. On this website, community members can find helpful organizations including social services, block clubs, and faith-based organizations, as well as community resources and employment opportunities. Another Chicago-based organization, CeaseFire Illinois—a Cure Violence organization—has an increasing presence in Englewood.
Purchase answer to see full attachment