PTSD Symptoms, Vicarious Traumatization, and Burnout in Front Line Workers in the Homeless Sector

Abstract

Work with clients who have trauma-related problems is reported to lead to a constellation of reactions including vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Traumatic experiences are ubiquitous in the lives of homeless people, stemming from multiple life events prior to, and as a result of, experiencing homelessness. While most studies examine either burnout and vicarious traumatization or potential PTSD in people who work with those who are traumatized, they generally do not look at the possible coexistence of all three factors. They also do not explore if these factors indicate the extent to which burnout or vicarious traumatization may lead to PTSD symptoms or that the existence of PTSD symptoms may precipitate greater rates of burnout. In addition, there are no existing studies that provide a quantitative view of the characteristics of frontline workers in homeless services. In this study, we surveyed 472 individuals who work in frontline positions in homeless shelters in 23 different organizations. We found rates of burnout, vicarious traumatization and compassion satisfaction, comparable to workers in other social services organizations but found rates of PTSD symptoms to be at 33% of the total population. This higher incidence of PTSD symptoms suggests that workers under-report traumatic stress when it is described as vicarious traumatization, that they specifically attribute this to client contact, and that vicarious traumatization is traumatic stress specifically attributed to job-related events.

“This Isn’t Just about Things, It’s about People and Their Future”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Working Conditions and Strains of Social Workers in Refugee and Homeless Aid

“…The long-term psychological effects named were depressive states and symptoms of burnout. Previous studies had already described a high prevalence of mental illness and burnout among this professional group [21,45]. The prevalence of depression, however, was not significantly different to that of the general population [18].…”

“…That said, conclusive information in available literature is still scarce and in some cases inconsistent [16]. Among workers in refugee and homeless aid, secondary trauma is also frequently observed due to being confronted with clients’ traumatic experiences [17,21,22]. In this connection, no findings are available in this study.…”

“…Studies relating to the health of workers show that a comparatively large proportion of workers in refugee and homeless aid exhibit secondary trauma [17], symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder [21] and high levels of burnout [22]. A heavy workload, secondary traumatic stress, an unfavourable work environment and a diminished sense of achievement were associated with higher levels of burnout.…”

(Un)bounded Social Work?—Analysis of Working Conditions in Refugee and Homeless Aid in Relation to Perceived Job Stress and Job Satisfaction

“…According to Waegemakers-Schiff and Lane, elevated levels of burnout and vicarious traumatization were found in almost a quarter of a sample of workers in homeless aid. Additionally, high rates of traumatic stress were described [23]. There have been reports of higher stress levels for female social workers [4] as well as more severe symptoms of depression for female aid workers [21].…”

‘It maybe doesn’t seem much, but to me it’s my kingdom’: staff and client experiences of Housing First in Scotland

“…Staff in our study reported experiences of vicarious trauma which can be defined as being continually exposed both to traumatic situations, and to those who are traumatized, with consequent negative impact (Baird & Kracen, 2006). The impact of helping individuals who have experienced homelessness and wider adverse events can lead to the development of elevated rates of a combination of burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and post-traumatic stress in key workers (Arslan, 2013;Seager, 2013;Waegemakers Schiff & Lane, 2019). Burnout has also been noted in evaluations of the Canadian At Home/Chez Soi HF program (Macnaughton et al, 2015).…”