An exploration of the cultural and structural influences on Year Coordinators’ vulnerability to compassion fatigue

Abstract Young people in Australia are experiencing concerning levels of mental ill-health, with more than one in five reporting high psychological distress. As educators responsible for supporting students’ social and emotional wellbeing, Year Coordinators face frequent exposure to student distress alongside heavy teaching demands, placing them at heightened risk of compassion fatigue. Yet rather than acknowledging the structural forces that intensify this risk, compassion fatigue is often framed as an individual shortcoming. This qualitative study draws on semi-structured interviews with 15 Year Coordinators across Australia to examine the systemic conditions shaping educators’ vulnerability to compassion fatigue. Using a Framework Method informed by critical neoliberal theory and scholarship on care work, findings reveal that the devaluation of care work and neoliberal logics in schooling leave educators managing complex workloads without adequate support. These insights have international significance as teachers globally are increasingly tasked with supporting students' mental health within similarly under-resourced systems.