Work
Helper wellbeing
30 questions · 8 min
This questionnaire is for people whose work involves helping others, such as nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers, carers, counsellors and emergency workers. It looks at both sides of that work: the satisfaction of helping, and the ways it can wear you down.
You get three separate scores: how much satisfaction you get from helping, signs of burnout, and how much other people’s painful or frightening experiences stay with you. There’s no overall score.
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What it shows
The rewards and the strains of your helping work over the last 30 days.
What it doesn’t
A diagnosis, or a measure of how caring or good at your job you are.
Who it’s for
This check is for anyone whose work involves looking after or supporting other people. It can be useful when work feels heavier than usual, after a run of difficult days, or simply as a regular check-in on how you’re coping.
It looks at the good side of helping as well as the hard side, so the result can remind you what keeps you going while showing where you might need more support.
Questions people ask
What does the ProQOL measure?
It gives three separate scores: how much satisfaction you get from helping, signs of burnout, and how much other people’s painful or frightening experiences stay with you. The last two together are sometimes called compassion fatigue.
How long does it take?
There are 30 questions about the last 30 days, and it takes about 8 minutes. There are no right or wrong answers.
How is the ProQOL scored?
Each of the three scores runs from 10 to 50. A score of 22 or less counts as low, 23 to 41 as moderate, and 42 or more as high. For satisfaction, higher is better; for burnout and carrying others’ experiences, higher means more strain.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It isn’t a diagnosis, and it doesn’t measure how caring you are or how good you are at your job. If something in your result worries you, a doctor is the right person to talk to.
What if my burnout score is high?
A supervisor, occupational health or a doctor can help you look after yourself while you look after others. It can also help to talk to colleagues you trust, who may recognise what you’re going through.
Who developed the ProQOL?
It was developed by Beth Hudnall Stamm, and the current version was published in 2009. It’s now looked after by the Center for Victims of Torture.
Where it comes from
Developed by Beth Hudnall Stamm, with its current version published in 2009; it is now looked after by the Center for Victims of Torture.
Professional Quality of Life Scale
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