Relationships Between Burnout, Isolation, Secondary Trauma, and Self-Compassion in Mental Health Providers

Burnout is a common challenge among mental health professionals. It is the main catalyst for professional misconduct (Morse, et al., 2012) and common among mental health professionals (Prime, et al., 2020; Sampiao, et al, 2021; Simionato & Simpson, 2018). COVID-19 increased social isolation, decreased social support, and strained family systems among mental health practitioners increasing risk (Prime, et al., 2020; Sampaio, et al., 2021). Social distancing also diminished systemic resources and increased reliance on personal resources for coping. Ongoing vicarious trauma increased, thus fostering burnout (McBride, et al., 2020; Shoji et al., 2016). Self-compassion is proposed as a possible solution to burnout (McCade et al., 2021; Richardson et al, 2018). Problem: Does self-compassion reduce burnout among mental health providers