Prevalence and determinants of secondary posttraumatic growth following trauma work among medical personnel: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background : People helping trauma victims as a part of their work may experience positive results, known as Secondary Posttraumatic Growth (SPTG). Aim : The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of SPTG among medical personnel, considering occupational load, job satisfaction, social support, and cognitive processing of trauma, understood as cognitive coping strategies. Methods : Subjects comprised 419 representatives of the medical profession, including paramedics and nurses. The age of the subjects varied from 19 to 65 (M = 39.60; SD = 11.03). Four standard measurement tools were utilized: the Secondary Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Job Satisfaction Scale, the Social Support Scale, which measured four support sources, and the Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale to assess five cognitive coping strategies. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were applied to analyse the connections between the variables. A linear stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the determinants of SPTG. Pearson’s correlation coefficients with confidence intervals were applied to analyse the connections between the variables. Results : As many as 40% of participants experienced high levels of growth, with only 27.4% indicating a low level. The obtained results showed positive links between job satisfaction, all social support dimensions (from supervisors, co-workers, family, friends), all cognitive coping strategies (positive cognitive restructuring, downward comparison, resolution/acceptance, denial, regret), and SPTG. No significant connection between workload and SPTG total was discovered. The primary determinant of SPTG in the examined group of medical personnel is the cognitive processing of trauma, chiefly the strategy of positive cognitive restructuring. Conclusions : Paramedics and nurses, despite their exposure to secondary trauma, experience positive posttraumatic consequences of the profession that entails helping the injured parties. It is advisable to encourage the medical personnel to apply positive coping strategies, find satisfaction in their work, and benefit from social support to promote posttraumatic growth.

Finding the positives from the COVID-19 pandemic: factors associated with posttraumatic growth among nurses in Hong Kong

“…Consistent with prior studies (Arnold, Calhoun, Tedeschi, & Cann, 2005 ; Ogińska-Bulik et al, 2021 ), we found that work satisfaction uniquely contributed to higher PTG among nurses in Hong Kong. Nurses’ work involves professionally caring for victims of different types of traumas (including accidents and life-threatening diseases e.g.…”

“…It has been suggested that individuals who are satisfied with work are more likely to find meaning in work, which could facilitate PTG (Hamama-Raz et al, 2020 ). Other studies found that satisfaction with work was associated with PTG among professionals working with trauma victims (Ogińska-Bulik, Gurowiec, Michalska, & Kędra, 2021 ). Workplace arrangements also matter in employees’ well-being during the pandemic.…”

Feeling Anxious Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Factors Associated With Anxiety Symptoms Among Nurses in Hong Kong

“…The benefits of work satisfaction might also be associated with people's coping strategies toward workrelated stressors. For example, a study in Poland found that higher work satisfaction was associated with more adaptive coping strategies (e.g., positive reframing, acceptance) among healthcare workers providing care for trauma victims in the hospitals (Ogińska-Bulik et al, 2021a). Those strategies have also been found to be associated with better psychological well-being among healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic situations (Mong and Noguchi, 2021).…”

“…Studies have found that individuals who are satisfied with work are more likely to find meaning in nature of work, which facilitate well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic (Hamama-Raz et al, 2021). Another study found that higher work satisfaction was associated with perceptions of positive changes (e.g., secondary posttraumatic growth) from the work experience during the pandemic among paramedics and nurses in Poland (Ogińska-Bulik et al, 2021a). The protective role of work satisfaction in anxiety symptoms among nurses should be further examined.…”

Empathy and Cognitive Processing as Factors Determining the Consequences of Secondary Exposure to Trauma Among Roman Catholic Clergymen

“…STS is commonly observed among various professions working with trauma survivors. It is particularly common among social workers (Manning-Jones et al, 2017 ; Ogińska-Bulik & Juczyński, 2020 ; Ogińska-Bulik et al, 2020 ) and medical personnel (Ogińska-Bulik et al, 2021 ).…”