Johns Hopkins Animal Care and Use Program Compassion Fatigue Awareness and Support Resources
The scientific and medical knowledge developed through animal research has saved countless lives and improved the health outcomes for both humans and animals.
Those working to study and provide care for animals at Johns Hopkins University have chosen a caring career, this includes Research Animal Resources (RAR) personnel, members of the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC), and faculty, trainees, and other lab members across research teams. People in these roles can form close bonds with the animals that they work with. However, these roles are inherently demanding and can cause emotional stress, with people experiencing both direct and indirect psychological trauma, which can lead to compassion fatigue. This is the caring paradox.
Compassion fatigue is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability, and a change in the ability to feel empathy. Repeated exposure to animal illness, impairment, humane euthanasia, and other challenging situations can lead to compassion fatigue, impacting both personal well-being and professional productivity. Recognizing and responding to compassion fatigue is key to promoting good mental health and ensuring personal and professional resiliency.
The Johns Hopkins Animal Care and Use Program and Research Animal Resources recognize the challenges faced by our faculty and researchers, veterinarians, animal care staff, behavioral and enrichment staff, and all others involved in animal care and research. This website aims to increase awareness of compassion fatigue, its signs and symptoms, and to provide resources to help identify and address this often-unseen risk and important issue. If you have ideas on how to combat compassion fatigue, please email [email protected].
If you are struggling with compassion fatigue, there are resources that can help.
Johns Hopkins University Resources
- Employee Assistance Program
- Johns Hopkins Medicine Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Resources
- Free access to Calm App