Exploring the experiences of compassion fatigue amongst peer support workers in homelessness services
Exploring the experiences of compassion fatigue amongst peer support workers in homelessness services
Peer support workers have lived experiences of the challenges their clients face. While research has shown peer work can benefit recovery, the negative consequences have not been clearly addressed. This study aimed to explore the experiences of compassion fatigue amongst peer support workers in homelessness services, and the coping strategies used. An explorative qualitative design was adopted. Six peer support workers, in homelessness services, were recruited via snowball sampling. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: relentless nature of working in homelessness services, change, making meaning of past experiences, organisational support, and personal coping strategies. There were two novel findings: (1) multiple clients recounting traumatic experiences, and (2) being unfairly blamed for lack of progress, exacerbating compassion fatigue. The findings of this study furthers limited research on compassion fatigue and can be used to develop protocols and practices for organisations that utilise peer support.
compassion fatigue, coping strategies, homelessness, organisational support, peer support, Peer Support, Homelessness, Organisational Support, Coping Strategies, Compassion Fatigue
772-783
Steenekamp, Bronwyn Leigh
6991a73e-83ec-4496-b662-1f88b174db97
Barker, Stephanie L.
c13c8f44-ca6f-497d-8eca-006707beeddf
29 January 2024
Steenekamp, Bronwyn Leigh
6991a73e-83ec-4496-b662-1f88b174db97
Barker, Stephanie L.
c13c8f44-ca6f-497d-8eca-006707beeddf
Steenekamp, Bronwyn Leigh and Barker, Stephanie L.
(2024)
Exploring the experiences of compassion fatigue amongst peer support workers in homelessness services.
Community Mental Health Journal, 60 (4), .
(doi:10.1007/s10597-024-01234-1).
Abstract
Peer support workers have lived experiences of the challenges their clients face. While research has shown peer work can benefit recovery, the negative consequences have not been clearly addressed. This study aimed to explore the experiences of compassion fatigue amongst peer support workers in homelessness services, and the coping strategies used. An explorative qualitative design was adopted. Six peer support workers, in homelessness services, were recruited via snowball sampling. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: relentless nature of working in homelessness services, change, making meaning of past experiences, organisational support, and personal coping strategies. There were two novel findings: (1) multiple clients recounting traumatic experiences, and (2) being unfairly blamed for lack of progress, exacerbating compassion fatigue. The findings of this study furthers limited research on compassion fatigue and can be used to develop protocols and practices for organisations that utilise peer support.
Text
s10597-024-01234-1
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 January 2024
Published date: 29 January 2024
Keywords:
compassion fatigue, coping strategies, homelessness, organisational support, peer support, Peer Support, Homelessness, Organisational Support, Coping Strategies, Compassion Fatigue
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 491284
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491284
ISSN: 0010-3853
PURE UUID: 9b301022-a36f-42e9-86b7-7ef5140e0ac7
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Date deposited: 18 Jun 2024 16:59
Last modified: 15 Oct 2024 01:52
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Author:
Bronwyn Leigh Steenekamp
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