Predictors of secondary traumatic stress among social workers: Supervision, income, and caseload size

Abstract

Summary In the past 20 years, research suggests that social workers and counselors are at risk of developing secondary traumatic stress from working with traumatized client populations. However, only a few studies have examined specific risk and protective factors that may buffer the social worker from developing secondary trauma symptoms. This article reports the results from a cross-sectional survey-based study of clinical social workers in which a predictive model of secondary traumatic stress was sought. In order to obtain an optimally predictive subset of variables from a larger set of candidate variables, this study employed a rigorous variable selection procedure using criteria-based methods for arriving at a final model predicting secondary trauma. Findings The results suggest that the ratings of the supervisory relationship, salary, caseload size, and personal anxiety may be salient factors that impact the development of secondary trauma among clinical social workers. Specifically, positive ratings of supervision and higher income level were found to predict a substantial decrease in the degree to which a social worker possessed secondary trauma symptoms. Applications Secondary trauma threatens clinician health, client quality of services, and contributes to increased financial burdens to nonprofit agencies due to burnout and employee turnover. At an organizational level, administrators and policymakers can address these problems by providing higher salaries, encouraging reasonable client caseloads, and ensuring that social workers have access to skilled clinical supervisors. At an individual level, personal self-care to reduce daily anxiety may be important to protect clinical social workers from developing secondary trauma symptoms.

Stressors, Job Resources, Fear of Contagion, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Nursing Home Workers in Face of the COVID-19: The Case of Spain

“…Furthermore, when workers experience a high social pressure from their work, not perceiving the support of their colleagues increases the levels of secondary traumatic stress. Therefore, providing workers with resources, support, and recognition could increase their confidence in dealing with difficult situations within nursing homes settings (McCabe et al, 2017), and help reduce the levels of traumatic stress (Quinn et al, 2019).…”

“…In addition, this population is at high risk for developing post-traumatic stress (Cai et al, 2020). More specifically, these professionals could be at risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress-a set of psychological symptoms acquired from exposure to people who have experienced trauma (Quinn et al, 2019). These are reactions derived from the performance of a traumatic work task that can be exacerbated when mixed with high degrees of empathy, as is the case of workers in this sector during this health crisis (Ludick & Figley, 2017).…”

A Systematic Review of Job Demands and Resources Associated with Compassion Fatigue in Mental Health Professionals

“…Moreover, since increasing age [ 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 ] and work experience [ 129 , 130 ] are two of the most frequently reported protective factors against compassion fatigue, listening to an experienced professional might afford effective coping strategies to mental health professionals vulnerable to compassion fatigue. For instance, in a sample of 107 Licensed Master’s Social Workers (LMSWs), Quinn, Ji and Nackerud [ 131 ] demonstrated that LMSWs who positively appraised clinical supervision experienced fewer symptoms of secondary traumatic stress. In the two studies included in the present review which investigated the role of supervision [ 85 , 86 ], the relationship of frequency and quality of supervision were not examined simultaneously with compassion fatigue.…”

Resilience as a moderator of stress and burnout: A study of women social workers in India

“…Some organisational factors that influence stress have been identified as low organisational support, limited resources and poor IT systems (Beer, 2016). Poor pay, elevated caseloads and the blame culture have been associated with retention issues in social workers (McGregor, 2014; Quinn et al, 2018). The interaction between high work demands, low levels of control and poor managerial support have been related to social worker stress (Ravalier, 2018), and the combination of high work pressures, lack of control over decision making and resources are detrimental to their job satisfaction (Wilberforce et al, 2014).…”