Psychological Effects of Professional Exposure to Trauma and Human Suffering: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Over the past decades, a growing interest has emerged toward understanding the impact that the exposure to human suffering produces in mental health professionals, leading to the identification of three constructs: vicarious traumatization (VT), compassion fatigue (CF), and secondary trauma (ST). However, little is known about how these conditions affect psychologists. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted to examine the evidence about the effects of occupational exposure to trauma and suffering in studies that included psychologists among their samples. Fifty-two studies were included comprising 10,233 participants. Overall, the results showed that most professionals did not experience relevant distress due to their work, yet some of them developed clinically significant symptoms (i.e., PTSD). However, solid conclusions could not be drawn due to the numerous methodological difficulties found in this research field (i.e., group heterogeneity, lack of comparison groups, and conceptual overlap). Thus, it is necessary to further investigate this topic with scientific rigor to understand these stressors and develop evidence-based interventions.

Trauma-Informed Supervision and Related Predictors of Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Prelicensed Counsellors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the current study, we examined individual factors, organizational factors, COVID-19 anxiety, and trauma-informed supervision as predictors of prelicensed counsellor burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). In a sample of 282 prelicensed counsellors, we conducted two hierarchical regression analyses for counsellor burnout and STS. The variables of interest accounted for 38% of the variance in counsellor burnout and 32% of the variance in counsellor STS. In the model of counsellor burnout, statistically significant variables included age, caseload, setting, COVID-19 anxiety, and trauma-informed supervision. For STS, statistically significant predictor variables were age, caseload, COVID-19 anxiety, and trauma-informed supervision. Implications of the findings for prelicensed counsellors, supervisors, and counselling researchers are discussed.

Exploring self-care experiences of school counsellors: A qualitative study

School counsellors are responsible for maintaining their well-being to provide quality service for the students. Self-care activities are the best way to preserve and enhance the well-being of counsellors. In this vein, this study aimed to discover the self-care experiences of school counsellors employing a qualitative approach. Fifteen licensed school counsellors (eight of whom were female) from various schools in Turkey participated in the study. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The data analysis was carried out with an inductive thematic analysis approach using NVivo 11 software. The results of the study are presented under four interrelated themes which are self-care practices, improved wellness, increased productivity in schools, and barriers to self-care. Findings of the study are discussed based on literature and a number of suggestions are presented for future studies of researchers and practitioners.

Vicarious Traumatization and Burnout among Service Providers for Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) are in need of multiple community services to aid in their recovery. Service providers are critical to ensuring these victims receive needed treatment. Given the complex trauma of these victims and the necessity of long-term treatment, these service professionals may experience vicarious trauma (VT) and burnout. This qualitative study interviewed 12 professionals who have provided direct services to victims of CSE about their experiences. They had on average about 8 years of experience and three were survivors of CSE. Almost all reported instances of burnout and VT but also had strategies for the prevention of such experiences. Most participants reported experiences of VT and burnout are inevitable when working with this population, but self-care strategies and peer support are essential to combatting these negative experiences. These results can inform agencies that provide services to victims of CSE so as to ensure their staff stay healthy and avoid burnout.

Counselling preparedness and responsiveness of industrial psychologists in the face of COVID-19

Orientation

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought to the forefront the need for industrial-organisational psychologists (IOPs) and organisations to place an emphasis on employees’ mental and physical health at all times.

Research purpose

The purpose of the research was to determine how prepared IOPs are to counsel employees during the pandemic and how responsive they are to provide counselling.

Motivation for the study

It is not clear to what extent such counselling is being practised by IOPs in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research approach/design and method

A qualitative approach was used to gain an understanding of registered South African IOPs’ experiences of workplace counselling, particularly during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main findings

Regarding preparedness, we found that IOPs are ill-prepared to counsel in the workplace. Preparedness was influenced by participants’ counselling education, skills and knowledge; experience; convictions about counselling; and psychological and organisational preparedness. Whilst some IOPs did engage in more counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic, most reverted to mitigating actions such as referrals, wellness management, equipping managers and change initiatives.

Practical/managerial implications

The results of this study indicate that, under pandemic conditions, there is an increased need for counselling practices within the workplace and that IOPs should explore the ways in which they could play a more active role in such counselling.

Contribution/value-add

Although we found that IOPs generally responded to employees’ mental health needs in a positive manner, there was a lack of counselling preparedness and responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factor structure of the professional quality of life scale among direct support professionals: factorial validity and scale reliability

BACKGROUND

Direct support professionals (DSPs) support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in activities of daily living. DSPs may experience both contentment and struggles with their work. As agencies grapple with their recruitment and retention, understanding DSPs' holistic work experience is important. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale assesses multiple domains of work experiences (i.e. compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress). Despite extensive use across helping professions, the ProQOL is largely absent from DSP research.

METHOD

This study examined the factor structure of the ProQOL with DSPs. Using secondary data from 495 DSPs, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine if the original three-factor structure holds for this population.

RESULTS

We confirmed the factorial validity of the ProQOL with the three-factor solution. In the validation process, some modifications were suggested to the model, which also improved the scale reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides initial evidence of the factorial validity of the ProQOL when used with DSPs, as well as recommendations for subsequent improvements and future research.

They Care for Others, But What About Themselves? Understanding Self-Care Among DSPs' and Its Relationship to Professional Quality of Life

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are instrumental to the daily operations of organizations that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). With extensive responsibilities, DSPs often experience high levels of stress and burnout that can result in turnover and vacant positions. Self-care is the practice of behaviors that promote well-being, counter work-related stress, and foster resilience. The current study explored self-care and resilience, and their relationship with professional quality of life (i.e., satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress) among DSPs. Using a convenient sample, 153 DSPs (71% female) completed an online survey comprised of multiple measures. Results indicated that DSPs often engaged in self-care behaviors across physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, relational, and workplace domains, however, less than 40% engaged in self-care behaviors directly related to work. On average, DSPs reported high levels of resilience. Collectively, self-care and resilience accounted for 12% to 28% of variance in DSPs' professional quality of life. Given the contribution of self-care to resilience and professional quality of life, an active approach by IDD organizations to foster self-care among DSPs may help promote their longevity and retention.

Productive Aging in the Social Work Profession: A Comparison of Licensed Workers 60 Years and Older with Their Younger Counterparts

This article reports the findings of an online survey in 13 U.S. states that compared the self-described demographics, wellness factors (mental health, physical health, and substance misuse), practice factors (fields of practice and work environment issues), and feelings about being a social worker (compassion satisfaction, workplace stress, being glad one chose social work and feeling valued as a professional in society) of 870 employed licensed social workers age 60 and older to 4076 licensed social workers under age 60. The results indicate that the older social workers were more likely to be male and white, less likely to report mental health problems, and more likely to work exclusively in private practice. Although older workers reported more serious physical health problems, they rated their physical health more favorably than their younger counterparts. In both bivariate and multivariate analyses, the older social workers scored significantly higher in compassion satisfaction, being glad they chose social work as a career, and feeling valued as a professional in society. The older social workers scored lower in workplace stress at levels that were statistically significant in a bivariate analysis, but not in a multivariate analysis.

The Multifaceted Meaning of Sport Psychology Professional Quality of Life

Experienced and senior sport psychology practitioners achieved longevity in effective professional practice by embracing sustainable approaches to their profession, assumed to be influenced by their positive professional quality of life. The aim of this study was to gain insight into how these practitioners defined and attended to their profession-specific quality of life. Utilizing Consensual Qualitative Research method, researchers examined the perceptions and meanings that 20 internationally located practitioners attributed to their Sport Psychology-Professional Quality of Life (SP-PQL). Findings revealed a view of SP-PQL that encompassed five domains: (a) the lived experience of SP-PQL, (b) the nature of the SP profession, (c) SP-PQL as an ongoing journey, (d) deliberate engagement in the SP profession, and (e) the interconnection between the personal and the professional. These practitioners recognized the importance of a positive SP-PQL as a foundation for a positive, effective, and long-lasting career in the field.

Residential Counselors and Self Care: A Retrospective Qualitative Study of Archival Interview Data

Objectives:

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to understand the barriers related to effective self-care for master’s level residential counselors.

Methods:

Archival interview transcripts of 77 residential counselors were analyzed utilizing a social constructivist lens to identify perceived barriers to effective self-care. Themes related to levels of self-care influences including individual, supervisory, and organizational barriers to effective self-care emerged.

Results:

Results reflected those themes specifically by indicating that counselors can take steps to actively engage in wellness pursuits to promote self-care. Similarly, supervisors and organizations can enhance or impede a counselor’s ability to engage in self-care.

Conclusions:

Counselors should select work settings that have both supervisory and organizational supports for self-care. This includes encouraging a culture of wellness through support, development, coverage for time off, and other related areas. Implications show that practices and policies are needed to promote effective self-care across individual, supervisory, and agency domains.

Therapist mindfulness and subjective vitality: the role of psychological wellbeing and compassion satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Mindfulness and vitality are related constructs in the literature; however, mindfulness and vitality have not been fully examined in the literature, specifically with mental health therapists.

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and vitality among a sample of licensed mental health clinicians. Compassion satisfaction (CS) and psychological wellbeing are further explored as mechanisms by which a therapist may experience vitality and the impact mindfulness may have on these mechanisms.

METHODS

Mediation analyses were utilized to understand the relationship between mindfulness and vitality and the indirect paths of psychological wellbeing and CS.

RESULTS

Results indicate that therapists with greater mindfulness report more vitality, higher overall psychological wellbeing and higher CS. As expected, the relationship between mindfulness and vitality was mediated by psychological wellbeing and CS. Results support the existing research on the relationship between mindfulness and vitality.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the importance of psychological wellbeing and CS has implications for addressing the high incidences of the negative impact of therapeutic work.

Wellness, Exposure to Trauma, and Vicarious Traumatization: A Pilot Study

Due to the increasing number of clients seeking counseling who have experienced trauma, counselors are at a greater risk for developing vicarious traumatization and becoming impaired. Wellness has been described as helpful in managing the effects of working with clients who have experienced trauma and in mitigating impairment. The current pilot study examined how exposure to client trauma experiences impacted counselors' (N = 68) wellness and how exposure to client trauma along with wellness influenced vicarious traumatization. Participants had an average of 12.9 years of experience and a caseload on which most clients reported a trauma history. The expectation that greater exposure to client trauma would influence wellness was not met. However, results indicated that counselors with higher levels of wellness along with exposure to client trauma exhibited significantly lower levels of vicarious traumatization. The pilot study builds awareness of vicarious traumatization and highlights the importance of wellness.

Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction in Hospice Social Work

As part of the interprofessional team of hospice caregivers, social workers are exposed to multiple stressors, both in their work with dying patients and their families and in functioning as professionals within rapidly changing health care organizations. Ongoing exposure to such stressors prompts concern about the emotional and psychological effect working with people who are dying may have on those who do it. Further, an understanding is needed regarding how hospice social workers interpret the costs and benefits of their work and how they cope with the dying and loss that pervade their everyday work lives. This descriptive, cross-sectional study explored the prevalence of compassion fatigue among hospice social workers and considered compassion satisfaction as a means to mitigate compassion fatigue. Fifty-five hospice social workers from 34 hospice organizations in Michigan completed an online survey. Results suggested that compassion fatigue is indeed a concern among hospice social workers. In addition, compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction were found to be negatively correlated and suggested that compassion satisfaction may act as a protective mechanism against compassion fatigue. These results may provide insight regarding how best to mitigate this professional hazard in end-of-life social work.

Stories of the Accused: A Phenomenological Inquiry of MFTs and Accusations of Unprofessional Conduct

Interviews were conducted with 10 MFTs (six females and four males) who had received a formal accusation of unprofessional conduct and went before state licensure boards in three different states. Accusations included dual relationships, financial fraud/errors, receiving DUIs, sexual misconduct, and emotionally harming a client. Utilizing Moustakas' (1994, Phenomenological research methods, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage) transcendental phenomenology, five essential themes emerged: (a) The experience of being formally accused of unprofessional conduct is life-changing, (b) state MFT licensing boards are more punitive than rehabilitative, (c) obtaining support is vital, (d) making accusations creates stigma, (e) therapists were unprepared to handle accusations of unprofessional conduct. Clinical implications include the importance of supervision, personal therapy, and strategies for prevention and rehabilitation with this population.

Predictors and processes associated with home-based family therapists' professional quality of life

This study examined whether home-based family therapists' (HBFT) workload and clinical experience were associated with therapists' professional quality of life directly and indirectly through self-care activities and frequency of clinical supervision. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling with a sample of 225 home-based therapists. Results suggested that therapists' workload and HBFT experience significantly predicted therapists' professional quality of life. These associations between therapists' workload and HBFT experience were partially mediated through participation in self-care and frequency of clinical supervision. Implications for improving therapists' quality of life are discussed as a function of therapists' workload, clinical experience, self-care, and supervision.