Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout and their associations with anxiety and depression in UK police officers: a mixed method analysis

Davies, Lucy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6162-6862, Brooks, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5469-7769 and Braithwaite, Elizabeth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4902-2262 (2023) Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout and their associations with anxiety and depression in UK police officers: a mixed method analysis. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 96 (3). pp. 509-529. ISSN 0032-258X

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Abstract

Professional quality of life (ProQoL) variables, compassion fatigue (CF), compassion satisfaction (CS) and burnout are understudied in the police. Here we examine any associations between ProQoL and anxiety, depression and personal QoL. Study 1: Cross-sectional survey (N=100) demonstrated CF and burnout are significantly associated with higher anxiety and depression, whereas CS is significantly associated with lower scores. When controlling for CS, CF is still significantly associated with higher scores. In study 2, semi-structured interviews (N=6) revealed themes of perceived awareness and personal impacts of ProQoL. Police interventions should focus on ProQ variables - the root cause of common mental health complaints.