Growth in the arena of trauma-informed care has correspondingly created interest in the potential hazards for clinicians who regularly provide trauma-based services. However, what to call the phenomena of clinicians being affected by bearing witness to other's trauma is a source of perplexity. A review of research indicated numerous terms are being used to describe this phenomenon. The literature review looked specifically at the term vicarious trauma, first developed by McCann and Pearlman (1990), and other closely related terms used in current literature (secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, countertransference, traumatic countertransference, posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional contagion, and shared trauma). Vicarious trauma is a narrowly defined term, yet similar terms have been developed with overlapping characteristics and symptoms. Commonalities encountered in the review of literature were the lack of operationalized terms, vocabulary mismanagement, and the use of incorrect terminology when designing and conducting research, creating potential vulnerabilities to reliability and validity of findings. The implications are important to various issues, specifically an increase in the collective knowledge base and trustworthy information concerning vicarious trauma and similar terms, avenues to decrease research inconsistencies, better prevention measures, enhancement of clinical practice behaviors, and precautions for future research endeavors.

Vicarious trauma is a significant occupational hazard for behavioral health clinicians (BHCs), with potentially negative effects on the quality of personal life and interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between vicarious trauma (Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale) and sexual desire (Hurlbert Index of Sexual Desire). The constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) was the foundational study theory. The sample consisted of 163 volunteers selected from the Missouri Substance Abuse Professional Credentialing Board (MSAPCB). Years of professional experience, sexual trauma history, gender, and age were computed as covariates. Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression were utilized. A modest, yet significant inverse relationship was found between vicarious trauma and sexual desire, r ϭ Ϫ0.24, p ϭ .002. Implications are negative dynamics to BHCs' service provision and personal lives. The results indicate that BHCs struggling with vicarious trauma may also notice a decrease in their level of sexual desire.

Student trauma can set up challenges and obstacles to a student's academic success. The correlation between experienced childhood trauma and negative medical and social problems is significant, creating problems at school with academic work, behaviors, and social interactions. Further compounding this issue are cultural differences in traumatic resolution and the hidden curriculum of education, especially as the globalization of school communities increases. The complexity of this issue generates an ideal situation for a multidisciplinary team approach, with precise defining of each team member's role to increase comprehensive services for teachers, students, families, and the administration. Essential members of the multidisciplinary team are school administration, teachers, family members, guidance staff, counseling staff, school social workers, school nurses, and community resources that can coordinate with the school to create individualized plans to optimize student success. The chapter is a compilation of scholarly research through desktop research.

Prior research suggests that social scientists may use qualitative research to explore the experiences of marginalized groups of individuals whose experiences may be neglected in quantitative work. Through the interview process, qualitative researchers often listen to participants' accounts of traumatic life events, and empathy is a critical skill for qualitative researchers to possess. Consequently, it can be argued that empathetic engagement with victims of trauma may have long-term cumulative negative effects on researchers in the form of vicarious trauma. While prior research suggests that therapists, social workers, and other clinicians who work with victims or survivors of trauma may experience vicarious trauma, current research neglects to consider if qualitative researchers are also at risk. More research is needed to examine whether researchers engaged in qualitative work experience vicarious trauma, and if they do, further investigation into the possible consequences and implications for future research.

This study compares the presence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scores among social work students with other majors and predicts the likelihood of majoring in social work. Results from a Midwestern, 4-year university indicate that on average, social work students ( n=81) are more likely to have higher ACE scores in all assessed items compared to students of other university majors ( n=269). Findings from the logistic regression analyses suggest that students who report at least one category of adversity were more likely to major in social work compared to other university majors. Using the person-in-environment perspective lens, these findings may account for gravitation of some students toward social work as a major. Resulting implications to baccalaureate social work programs concerning curriculum, trauma awareness, and resiliency training of students are discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

This article examines Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scores among university performing arts students, the role of trauma as a muse and creative outlet, and attraction to the performing arts as a result of experienced trauma. Descriptive and Chi Square analysis reveal significant concentrations of ACE scores were discovered in 3 of the 10 ACE categories for performing arts majors, specifically psychological abuse, emotional neglect, and having a family member with mental illness. Additionally, performing arts students (n = 95) had a higher total average ACE score compared to other majors (n = 322). Research indicates a strong correlation between number of ACE scores and negative physical and psychological outcomes in adults (Felitti et al., 1998). Numerous methods centered on difficult emotions are employed to assist performing artists in honing their craft, physically, cognitively, and psychologically; thereby creating a complex relationship between creative inspiration from past traumatic events and destructive force to the whole person. These dynamics result in implications for performing arts preparatory programs, such as how to address these issues in their curriculum for holistic education and development of one's artistic range and abilities.