Final answer:
Compassion fatigue typically intensifies and can lead to burnout when there is no escape from work. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion with symptoms worsening over time if stressors are not managed or reduced. Option a is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
When there is no escape from work, compassion fatigue often intensifies and can lead to burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, characterized by three dimensions: exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment.
Not being able to detach from work makes individuals prone to these symptoms. Furthermore, chronic work stress without relief can transition into burnout, further impacting one's mental health with potential co-occurrence with depressive disorders, as well as physical health, deteriorating with lasting, excessive stress levels.
Workers who face daily high stress levels without proper support or positive returns for their efforts are particularly at risk. In such conditions, burnout not merely remains static but typically worsens over time, seeing as there is no reduction in the stressors causing the fatigue.
Strategies to manage and reduce workplace stress, such as seeking appropriate avenues for relief and maintaining a balanced lifestyle, are essential to prevent burnout from intensifying or occurring.