A Study on Psychological Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Dark Triad among Lawyers

Abstract

The professional legal field workers carry on the stress of their own lives,

their families, their clients, and their clients’ families. The overflowing emotions lead to

difficulties in their own life as well. Therefore, it is important to study and identify those factors

that give rise to multiple other problems. The current study aimed to understand the

psychological burnout, compassion fatigue, and dark triad traits among Indian Lawyers. A

sample of 33 lawyers was taken to examine the relationship. Standardized tests were used for

each variable. The findings show a significant positive correlation between Compassion

Fatigue and depersonalization, revealing a higher level of compassion fatigue would lead to

higher psychological burnout in Lawyers. Moreover, the components of Dark Triad traits also

showed a significant positive relationship with the components of Burnout. The study does not

show any significant relationship between Dark Triad traits and Compassion Fatigue, revealing

that compassion fatigue is the result of outer circumstances, not the personality traits among

Lawyers. The study suggests that more research be done in the field of legal studies by taking

a much larger sample, and a need to conduct stress management workshops and training, which

help them to share their own feelings than just their clients’ problems.