Table 1 Other terms related to the HCPs’ vulnerability

Compassion fatigue (CF)

The stress resulting from exposure to a traumatised individual or a person suffering, rather than from exposure to the trauma or suffering itself (Figley, 1995). HCPs or caregivers can develop an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the emotional pain and/or physical distress of those being helped (Cocker and Joss 2016)

Exhaustion, anger and irritability, negative coping behaviours, reduced ability to feel empathy, decreased satisfaction with work, increased absenteeism, and less ability to make decisions and attention to patients

Medical errors

The hierarchical culture of healthcare keeps the stigma about mistakes and failures, and this remains a barrier to sharing dilemmas (Delgado et al. 2020)

In 2000, To Err Is Human (Institute of Medicine, 2000) was the first publication aimed at breaking the silence that has surrounded medical errors and their consequences. The authors stated that the problem was not the fact that bad healthcare professionals were working, but rather than good HCPs were working in bad systems that needed to be made safer

Feelings of guilt, fear, shame (related to their reputation, their job, their license, and their own future as well as that of their patient), and isolation. Unwillingness to talk to anyone about the event, inhibiting both their learning and the likelihood of achieving resolution, which compounds the harm (Delbanco and Bell 2007)

Moral suffering

The anguish that HCPs and caregivers may experience in the face of moral damages, or moral residues, which can harm their integrity (Rushton, 2018). Moral suffering is inherent to healthcare practice, and it can be manifested as vulnerability, moral distress, and sometimes burnout (Delgado et al. 2020)

There are various types of moral suffering arising from diverse sources: witnessing, participating in, or directly precipitating situations that produce a wide range of negative moral outcomes, and that can trigger moral distress (Rushton, 2018). Any type of moral suffering can threaten HCPs’ integrity and can contribute to disengagement and alienation from their professions, the patients being helped, their organisations, and themselves

Fear of stigma

Fear of stigma refers to people’s constant vigilance toward the possibility of stigma and involves an inherent emotional component (Whitley and Campbell 2014). Stigma can be perceived as a major potential problem, which can even affect licence and future career. This awareness of the ways in which stigma can be harmful to oneself can lead to the ongoing fear of being stigmatised (Benz et al. 2021)

Vigilance toward stigma leads to feelings of fear, guilt, and shame about being judged by others, as well as self-rejection and a reluctance to admit that one has such problems. Fear of stigma may be a primary factor in avoiding seeking mental health treatment when necessary (Brower 2021; Clough et al. 2019)