• Alberto Rossi, Gaia Cetrano, Riccardo Pertile, Laura Rabbi, Valeria Donisi, Laura Grigoletti, Cristina Curtolo, Michele Tansella, Graham Thornicroft, and Francesco Amaddeo.
• Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy. alberto.rossi@univr.it
• Psychiatry Res. 2012 Dec 30;200(2-3):933-8.

AbstractProviding care to individuals with complex mental health needs can be stressful. However, little research has focused on the emotional, cognitive, and physical consequences of providing mental health care. The aim of this study is to assess burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF) and compassion satisfaction (CS) among staff at the four community-based mental health services (CMHS) of Verona, Italy. All staff were asked to complete anonymously the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. In total 260 staff participated (a response rate of 84%). Psychiatrists and social workers were the professionals with the highest levels of BO and CF. Workers with psychological distress reported both higher BO and CF scores, and lower levels of CS. A significant increase in the BO and CF scores was also detected for each extra year spent working in a CMHS. A higher level of CF was associated with female and having been experienced one negative life event in the previous year. These findings are useful for health managers and team leaders to identify factors affecting the professional quality of life of mental healthcare staff, and can provide a rationale for detecting staff at risk for developing negative work-related outcomes.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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