compassion fatigue

noun

1

medical : the physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal experienced by those who care for sick or traumatized people over an extended period of time

Unlike burnout, which is caused by everyday work stresses (dealing with insurance companies, making treatment choices), compassion fatigue results from taking on the emotional burden of a patient's agony.

—Tim Jarvis

2

: apathy or indifference toward the suffering of others as the result of overexposure to tragic news stories and images and the subsequent appeals for assistance

Several fundraising experts said the Las Vegas collection may trail other donation efforts for several reasons, including "compassion fatigue" … . "Compassion fatigue is a real thing. There have been so many things that happened this year," [Sandy] Rees said. "But it does get overwhelming, and I think people start to tune out."

—David Montero

Examples of compassion fatigue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Cost Of Caring: Compassion Fatigue And Emotional Labor Closely related to moral injury is compassion fatigue, a condition that disproportionately affects nonprofit staff and frontline caregivers. —Yujia Zhu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

After hours of nonstop working, your brain can suffer from cognitive overload, compassion fatigue and burnout. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025

Psychologist Morton says chronic stress from the emotional labor of motherhood can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue or symptoms of anxiety and depression. —Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

The sheer volume of information, often conflicting and overwhelming, can lead to compassion fatigue or a sense of paralysis. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025

Yet the caution is that strong humanity, not supported by the other character dimensions, will compromise well-being and judgment, as seen in cases of burnout, compassion fatigue, or the inability to hold people accountable because a person doesn’t want to hurt others. —Mary Crossan, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Western publics by and large have managed to stave off compassion fatigue and remain committed to helping Ukraine repulse the Russian invasion. —Nina Jankowicz, Foreign Affairs, 4 May 2023

Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis says the mental health consequences of compassion fatigue can be severe, including anxiety, depression as well as thoughts of suicide. —Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2024

Yet compassion fatigue hasn’t stopped the international community from providing more than $17 billion in assistance for Syrian refugees in less than a decade, approximately $3,000 per person. —Cynthia J. Arnson, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for compassion fatigue

• blitzkrieg
• intrigue
• muskeg
• chincoteague
• league

Medical Definition

compassion fatigue

noun

: the physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal experienced by those that care for sick or traumatized people over an extended period of time

Some researchers consider compassion fatigue to be similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), except that it applies to those emotionally affected by the trauma of another (eg, client or family member) rather than by one's own trauma.

—Michael K. Kearney et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association

Clinicians should be aware of how their emotional withdrawal or lability and "compassion fatigue" can jeopardize the care of dying patients and their families.

—Deborah Cook and Graeme Rocker, The New England Journal of Medicine