Secondary traumatic stress: An investigation of Canadian mental health workers.

Abstract

In the past decade, there has been an increased awareness of the deleterious effects for professionals working in the field of trauma. Claims have been made that professionals working with traumatized clients are vulnerable and at risk of developing trauma symptoms similar to those experienced by their clients. Terms used to describe this phenomenon are “vicarious traumatization” and “secondary traumatic stress.” The results of survey data collected from 280 Canadian mental health professions on work setting and client type variables, personal histories of trauma, current levels of traumatic stress symptoms, and self-report ratings on experiencing secondary traumatic stress are reported. Implications for mental health professionals working in the field of trauma are addressed.

Preventing Vicarious Traumatization of Mental Health Therapists: Identifying Protective Practices

“…While some participants in the current study disclosed a personal trauma history and described subsequent experiences of PTG, this was not a focus of the present study. Moreover, prior research investigating whether therapist personal trauma history serves as a buffer or a risk factor in the development of VT/STS has been inconclusive (Arvay, 2001;Buchanan, Anderson, Uhlemann, & Horwitz, 2006). Those research co-participants in the current study who disclosed a personal history of trauma described having come to terms with their own traumatic experiences.…”

Can Firefighters’ Mental Health Be Predicted by Emotional Intelligence and Proactive Coping?

“…The IES-R has also demonstrated strong test-retest (r ranging from .78-.82) and internal consistency (Newman, Kloupek, & Keane, 1996;a ¼ .83;Simons, Gaher, Jacobs, Meyer, & Johnson-Jimenez, 2005). Buchanan, Anderson, Uhlemann, and Horwitz (2006) state that a raw score on the IES-R greater than 26 should be considered the criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder.…”

The Unseen Cost: A Discussion of the Secondary Traumatization Experience of the Clergy

“…Buchanan et al (2006) acknowledge that in the last decade alone there has been an increased awareness of the potential harmful effects for those who interact in a professional capacity with survivors of trauma. It is now recognised that bearing witness to the impact of human tragedy in the lives of others can exact a costly toll on individuals (Ericksson et al 2001;Lind 2000;Lugris 2000;Robins et al 2009;Sinclair and Hamill 2007;Slattery and Goodman 2009).…”