Evidence in Action Research Brief-COVID-19 and the Impact on Helping Professionals

January 2022|Volume 10, Issue 1

EVIDENCE IN ACTION

A quarterly research brief from the

Center on Trauma and Children

The Impact of COVID-19 and Experiences of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout

Whitt-Woosley, A., Sprang, G., & Eslinger, J.G. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 and Experiences of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advanced online publication.

Introduction

The development of secondary traumatic stress (STS) is a common occurrence for helping professionals and others exposed to high rates of indirect trauma. _[1,2] STS is defined as the “emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the first-hand trauma experiences of another” and includes symptoms that mimic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. _[3] Burnout (BO), a related but distinct construct, has been found across studies to highly correlate with symptoms of STS. _[4] Symptoms of BO include emotional exhaustion, decreased feelings of competency and feelings of disconnection from others _[5] that result from institutional stresses such as demanding work expectations, high caseloads or long hours. _[6] To date, it is unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the development of STS and BO for helping professionals and others already exposed to indirect trauma.

The Study

This study examines the relationships between COVID-19 related stressors and experiences of STS and BO. A sample (N=550) of professionals and caregivers who provide services to children in foster care completed an online survey regarding their experiences of COVID-19 related stress (disruptions in routines, income/employment, food access, medical/mental health care access, access to social support, worries about COVID, family conflict/violence, and COVID diagnoses). The survey also included the 21-item Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) for DSM-5 _[7] and the 10-item BO subscale of the 30-item Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Scale Version 5 (ProQOL). _[8]

Findings

Study participants reported frequent experiencing of COVID-related stressors and moderate STS on average. Mean BO scores were in the low average range. An important finding was that the COVID related threats to this group appeared to be primarily psychological. Only 1% of the sample reported a positive diagnosis with serious illness, and less than 10% had a close family member or friend contract the disease. Although these providers represented members of the essential workforce, these rates of illness exposure are markedly lower than in other published studies. _[9,10]

A subset of COVID-19 stressors was found to account for 27.4 percent of the variance in total STS scores and 24.7 percent of the variance in BO scores in regression analyses. Significant correlates for STS included worries about COVID, family conflict/violence and food access, while only worries about COVID and family conflict/violence were significant in the model testing BO. Additionally, part of the sample (N=64) had participated in a related 2019 study and were included in comparison analyses before and during the pandemic. Results for T1 and T2 comparisons yielded significant increases in STS related symptoms of intrusion and alterations in cognitions and mood, with differences in total STS scores trending toward significance. No significant differences were found in BO scores.

Translational Tips

Screening for and addressing pandemic worries, family conflict/violence and food insecurity among helping professionals in the context of a pandemic may reduce symptoms of STS and BO.
Screening for secondary stressors during this pandemic even when rates of actual COVID infection are low appears warranted as the psychological experience of the pandemic seems to present its own significant concerns.
Psychoeducation initiatives that delineate risk factors and normalize traumatic stress responses can provide the information professionals and caregivers could use to properly determine their own needs.

Organizations could disseminate electronic screening tools that can be privately and confidentially completed to empower individuals to self-monitor across pre, peri and post pandemic contexts.
The provision of trauma-focused telehealth services, available during extended hours can provide an outlet for those affected to seek services at a time when their own psychological and physical safety can be ensured.
Providers need to use emerging research to become well-versed in the identification and treatment of pandemic related stress, STS, and BO.

References

1- Bride, B. E. (2007). Prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among social workers. Social Work, 52(1), 63-70.

2- Whitt-Woosley, A., Sprang, G., & Eslinger, J. (2020). Exploration of factors associated with secondary traumatic stress in foster parents. Children and Youth Services Review, 118.

3- National Child Traumatic Stress Network Secondary Traumatic Stress Committee (2011). Secondary traumatic stress: A fact sheet for child-serving professionals. Los Angeles, CA, and Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.

4- Cieslak, R., Shoji, K., Douglas, A., Melville, E., Luszczynska, A., & Benight, C. C. (2014). A meta-analysis of the relationship between job burnout and secondary traumatic stress among workers with indirect exposure to trauma. Psychological Services, 11(1), 75-86.

5- Maslach, C. (1982). Burnout: The Cost of Caring. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

6- Stamm, B. H. (1997). Work-related secondary traumatic stress. National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Research Quarterly, 8(2), 1-3.

7- Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) for DSM-5. B. Bride, personal communication, October 5, 2017.

8- Stamm, B. H. (2009). Professional quality of life: Compassion satisfaction and fatigue version 5 (ProQOL).

9- Jones, A. M., Clark, J. S., & Mohammad, R. A. (2021). Burnout and secondary traumatic stress in health-system pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.

10- Blanco-Donoso, L. M., Moreno-Jiménez, J., Amutio, A., Gallego-Alberto, L., Moreno-Jiménez, B., & Garrosa, E. (2021). Stressors, job resources, fear of contagion, and secondary traumatic stress among nursing home workers in face of the COVID-19: the case of Spain. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 40(3), 244-256.

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