scholarly journals The impact of trauma work on trauma workers: A metasynthesis on vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth.

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 570-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Cohen ◽  
Paula Collens
Author(s):  
Erin Smith ◽  
Julie-Ann Pooley ◽  
Lisa Holmes ◽  
Kristine Gebbie ◽  
Robyn Gershon

Abstract Objective: A substantial body of research exists regarding vicarious trauma (VT) exposure among helping professionals across disciplines and settings. There is limited research, however, on exposure to VT in qualitative researchers studying traumatized populations. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of qualitative researchers who study traumatized populations and to identify potential protective strategies for reducing the risk of VT. Methods: The study utilized a qualitative methodological design. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured script. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify both risk factors and protective factors associated with VT. A sample of 58 research participants were recruited using a multimodal recruitment strategy. Results: Using thematic analysis, the following key themes emerged: exposure to primary trauma, the impact of stigma, organizational context, individual context, and research context. The opportunity for posttraumatic growth was also identified. Conclusion: Qualitative researchers of traumatized populations need to recognize the potential for VT and implement appropriate protection strategies from the risk of VT. The development of policies and guidelines that recognize the importance of both self-care and plan for researcher safety and well-being is a potential strategy for building researcher resilience and preventing VT.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (21-22) ◽  
pp. 4709-4731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J. London ◽  
Mary C. Mercer ◽  
Michelle M. Lilly

Recent research has demonstrated that first responders may report posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological changes that arise in the aftermath of a trauma. Less is known regarding the perception of PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators, a group of first responders exposed to a high degree of lifetime trauma, including duty-related trauma as well as early and non-duty-related trauma. Moreover, the impact of childhood trauma on the processes involved in the perception of growth is less clear. While some distress is needed to facilitate processes that lead to the perception of PTG, it has been suggested that positive associations between PTG and pathology reflect avoidant coping or represent an illusory component of PTG. Structural equation models were used to examine early trauma exposure, coping, and pathology in predicting PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators ( N = 788). In separate models using active and avoidant forms of coping, childhood trauma exposure had an indirect effect on PTG through coping. In a model considering both forms of coping, childhood trauma had an indirect effect on PTG through psychopathology, but not through coping. The results show that early trauma exposure leads to the perception of growth through pathways indicative of both adaptive and maladaptive coping processes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lila Petar Vrklevski ◽  
John Franklin
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Süleyman Cemil Oğlak ◽  
Mehmet Obut

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of caring with pandemic patients on health care workers who worked in the front line versus their collegues from the same institution who remained in their usual hospital  wards. Material and methods: This prospective descriptive study was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic from June 25, 2020 to July 03, 2020. A total of 107 licensed registered nurses enrolled the study. 58 of them were front-line nurses and 49 of them were nurses remained in their usual wards. All participants evaluated by the vicarious traumatization (VT) evaluation scale. Results: The VT scores of the front-line nurses were significantly higher than those of the non-front-line nurses (p<0.001). When the domains in the VT score were evaluated, it was seen that the psychological responses and physiological responses of the front-line nurses were significantly higher compared to the non-front-line nurses (p<0.001). Conclusion: Medical staff working on the FL for Covid-19 patients had higher scores of vicarious traumatization compared to medical staff serving in their usual wards. The challenges of prolonged care of Covid-19 patients will put pressure on these professionals, and the leadership must emphasize the importance of medical staff mental health for the better control of the pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Counselman-Carpenter ◽  
Alex Redcay

This theoretical paper explores the need to use posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a framework when studying sexual minority women (SMW) who are survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to examine the relationship between risk factors such as stress, anxiety and alcohol use and to understand the role of protective factors through mining for the presence of posttraumatic growth (PTG). Despite a call for continued research in this highly vulnerable population, representative studies of SMW and PTG remain extremely limited. Research that examines the relationship between IPV, behavioral health issues, and posttraumatic growth would provide the opportunity to develop tailored intervention models and opportunities for program development to decrease isolation and increase factors of posttraumatic growth. In particular, the impact of how interpersonal relationships as potential mediators and/or outcomes of posttraumatic growth (PTG) needs to be explored more thoroughly. PTG is a valuable framework for vulnerable populations such as sexual minority women because it focuses on how transformative change may result from traumatic experiences such as surviving IPV.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1088-1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Moschella ◽  
Sidney Turner ◽  
Victoria L. Banyard

Sexual assault (SA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) occur at alarming rates in the United States. Prior research indicates that victims of traumatic events frequently experience both positive and negative changes as part of their recovery process. The present study aimed to further existing research by examining the relationship between self-blame, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and happiness when controlling for posttraumatic stress and time since victimization. The current study analyzed 357 women who had experienced at least one incident of SA or IPV. We found that PTG partially mediated the relationship between self-blame and happiness, suggesting that PTG only somewhat explains the impact of self-blame on victim happiness. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.


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