Compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, and burnout are all:

• A. Relational disorders
• B. Fatigue syndromes
• C. Anxiety disorders
• D. Mood disorders

Answer: (B)

Fatigue-related responses to helping others and ongoing occupational stress characterize these terms. Compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, and burnout all revolve around exhaustion—emotional, physical, or cognitive—that arises from caring for or working with people who have experienced trauma. They reflect how exposure to others’ distress can wear down energy, reduce coping capacity, and alter functioning, rather than signaling a primary anxiety or mood disorder or a relational disorder. While symptoms can overlap with anxiety or depressive features, the common thread is fatigue and strain from caregiving and work demands. Recognizing them as fatigue-related syndromes helps guide prevention and management, such as reinforcing boundaries, supervision, workload management, sleep, and self-care strategies.