Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5)

Purpose and Use

The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5) is a widely used 30-item self-report measure designed for professionals who provide helping services. It assesses both the positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (burnout and secondary traumatic stress) aspects of their work. This tool helps individuals understand the impact of their helping role on their personal and professional life, serving as a valuable instrument for self-assessment, supervision, and organizational wellness programs.

Sources and Literature

The ProQOL scale was developed by Dr. B. Hudnall Stamm and is freely available to the public. It is one of the most commonly used measures for assessing the professional quality of life of helpers. The current version, ProQOL 5, is the result of extensive research and refinement. The scale and supporting materials are distributed through proqol.org. The instrument has been validated across various populations of helping professionals, demonstrating good reliability and validity for its subscales. For a copy of the questions and scoring methodology, go to the ProQOL 5 Self-Score

Clinical Workflow and Parameters

The ProQOL 5 measures three distinct concepts using separate subscales:

• Compassion Satisfaction: This refers to the pleasure derived from being able to do one's work well. It is the positive feeling associated with helping others. High scores indicate a greater sense of satisfaction from work. This is calculated by summing the scores of items: 3, 6, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30.
• Burnout: This scale measures feelings of exhaustion, frustration, anger, and depression associated with one's work. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion and a sense of ineffectiveness. High scores suggest significant burnout. This is calculated by summing the scores of items: 1, 4, 8, 10, 15, 17, 19, 21, 26, 29. Note that items 1, 4, 15, 17, and 29 are reverse-scored before summing.
• Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS): This relates to the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person. It is conceptually similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but is caused by secondary exposure to traumatic events. High scores indicate significant secondary traumatic stress. This is calculated by summing the scores of items: 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 23, 25, 28.

Scoring Interpretation:

For each of the three subscales, the raw score is compared to standardized cutoffs to determine if the individual's experience is low, average, or high.

• Low Score: 22 or less
• Average Score: 23 to 41
• High Score: 42 or more

It is important to note that the ProQOL is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. The results are intended to raise awareness and should be interpreted in the context of an individual's overall life and work situation. Individuals with high scores on Burnout or STS are encouraged to seek further consultation or support.

When you [help] people you have direct contact with their lives. As you may have found, your compassion for those you [help] can affect you in positive and negative ways. Below are some questions about your experiences, both positive and negative, as a [helper].

• Note: The words [help] or [helper] can be replaced with more specific terms, such as [teach] and [teacher] or [nurse].

Consider each of the following questions about you and your current work situation. Select the number that honestly reflects how frequently you experienced these things in the last 30 days.

• Read each statement carefully.
• Select the number that honestly reflects how frequently you experienced these things in the last 30 days.
• Once all questions are answered, the app will calculate your scores for Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress.