Meeting Summary – March 2023: The Cost of Caring: Compassion Fatigue among Peer Overdose Response Workers in British Columbia

Jul 26, 2023 | Meeting Summary

Article

Zahra Mamdani, Sophie McKenzie, Emma Ackermann, Rayne Voyer, Fred Cameron, Tracy Scott, Bernie Pauly & Jane A. Buxton (2023) The Cost of Caring: Compassion Fatigue among Peer Overdose Response Workers in British Columbia, Substance Use & Misuse, 58:1, 85-93, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2148481 https://tinyurl.com/RSHRRGrecovery

Article Summary

The drug overdose crisis has had dramatic effects on people who use drugs. Peer overdose response workers (peer responders), i.e., people with lived/living experience of drug use who work in overdose response settings, are especially at risk of the negative physical and mental health effects of the crisis—that is, doing this work can take a toll on their bodies and minds. However, scientists have not studied or measured the effect of peer overdose response work on the people doing this work (peer responders).

Compassion Fatigue

Key Themes

Peer recovery work is hard work

Supervision for peer recovery work is inconsistent

Self-care is critical

Legitimize the role of peer recovery workers in the medical system

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