Objective To investigate the status quo and influencing factors of compassion fatigue among nurses in psychiatric hospitals. Methods The self-designed demographic questionnaire,compassion fatigue scale,occupation-al identity assessment scale and social support rating scale were employed to investigate 480 nurses in five psychi-atric hospitals from two provinces. Results The scores for each dimension in compassion fatigue scale were as fol-lows:compassion satisfaction(32.26±5.34),occupational burnout(27.67±4.34),and secondary traumatic stress(23.72± 4.41).Age,position,individual monthly income,health status,job satisfaction and occupational identity had significant influence on compassion satisfaction(F=19.351,P<0.001). Individual monthly income,health status,job satisfaction and occupational identity had significant influence on occupation burnout (F=35.705,P<0.001). Individual monthly income, personality and social support had significant influence on secondary traumatic stress(F=17.203,P<0.001). Conclusion Nurses in psychiatric hospitals had severe compassion fatigue and this status was influenced by multiple reasons. Nursing managers should pay great attention to nurses with low monthly income,poor health,low job satisfaction, weak social support and low occupational identity,and take effective measures to decrease compassion fatigue of nurses.