South African society has been a ected either directly or indirectly by some degree of trauma. Therefore the presence of a trauma unit within a hospital created the ideal opportunity for novice trauma counsellors to have practical experience. The present research is an exploratory study, designed in accordance with ethno- graphic principles in order to understand the psychological e ects of trauma on novice trauma counsellors. It focuses on themes that reverberate throughout the participants narratives. Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are two such e ects that were explored in this study. Research into compassion fatigue and vi- carious trauma span over several decades and researchers have moved from merely describing the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress to explaining it in terms of models that highlight the role of various factors that contribute vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue. This study concludes with recommendations to counter the e ects of experiencing secondary trauma. / (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))

Vicarious traumatization (VT) describes the gradual, transformative shifts in internal experience that occur as a result of cumulative exposure to clients’ trauma material. VT is thought to develop in the therapist due to empathic engagement with clients, resulting in profound disruptions in frame of reference. Because VT is conceptualized as a condition that develops due to frequent exposure to clients’ traumatic material, a rapidly emerging body of theoretical literature suggests that clinicians can safeguard against VT by maintaining a more balanced workload (i.e., a caseload of clients with a variety of presenting problems) and limiting the number of trauma cases. However, the quantitative research base on VT is limited and has been plagued by several methodological shortcomings, most notably the lack of comparison groups of non-trauma clinicians. As such, a primary aim of the present study was to characterize the prevalence and severity of VT among one group of clinicians treating predominantly traumatized populations, and one group providing treatment for a wider variety of presenting issues. Further, a secondary aim of this project was to identify both therapist-level and occupational-level contributors to VT. In our cross-sectional, online survey study of 114 generalist mental health providers (Mage = 33.36, 75.4% female, 88.6% Caucasian) and 107 trauma clinicians (Mage = 42.66, 81.3% female, 86.9% Caucasian) recruited from various professional organizations, levels of VT were low and not significantly different between the two provider groups. Risk factors for VT included fewer years of experience, having a greater personal history of trauma, and a personal distress empathy style. Protective factors included a perspective-taking empathy style, problem-focused and emotion-focused coping styles, and high-quality supervision. When the VT construct was examined alongside similar (but conceptually different) occupational stress constructs of secondary traumatic stress and burnout, there was a high degree of overlap, indicating that VT may not be a distinct phenomenon or unique to working with trauma clients. Results suggest that claims about the deleterious effects of trauma therapy are likely overstated, thereby refuting the original conceptualization of VT. Future research directions and implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Emergency services personnel are potentially exposed to events involving trauma, suffering and tragedy on a daily basis, which could consequently lead to secondary trauma and post- traumatic stress symptoms. The images and feelings that are associated with continuously being exposed to traumatic situations are not limited to the emergency services personnel, who are primarily exposed to the event, but these events can also have an effect on the significant others in their environment, such as their spouses. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of secondary trauma among the spouses of emergency services personnel. The research study followed a qualitative research approach, which provided in-depth descriptions and understandings of the participants’ secondary trauma experiences. The research design was explorative and descriptive in nature. Purposive sampling was used to select eight (8) participants, who were the spouses of emergency services personnel. The data was collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews and was analysed according to Creswell. Various research findings indicated that secondary trauma was prevalent in the emergency services industry and, in this current study, most participants indicated that it impacted their marital relationships. The experiences of secondary trauma among the spouses of emergency services personnel stemmed from their partners’ repeated exposure to trauma, managing everyday job stress, safety fears, behavioural changes, dealing with their partners’ emotional reactivity and emotional withdrawal from the family, following trauma exposure. Based on some of the suggestions provided by all the participants, the researcher concluded the study with recommendations for future practice and future research, the main recommendation being that organisational support systems be made available to spouses and families of emergency services personnel.

No description available.

Inledning: Det finns få forskningsreferenser när det gäller psykoterapeuters känslomässiga och kroppsliga reaktioner i patientarbete. Denna tematiska forskningsanalys utgår från psykoterapeuter som arbetar med personer som lider av trauma, då tidigare studier visar på kraftfulla kroppsliga och känslomässiga reaktioner i arbetet med denna målgrupp. Syftet med studien är att belysa hur psykoterapeuter beskriver sina upplevelser, negativa såväl som positiva, och hur de hanterar dem. Frågeställningar: Hur beskriver psykodynamiskt inriktade psykoterapeuter sina kroppsliga och känslomässiga reaktioner i arbetet med traumatiserade patienter? Hur hanterar de sina egna reaktioner? Metod: Fem legitimerade psykoterapeuter med psykodynamisk utbildning i Sverige och som arbetar med patienter med trauma har intervjuats. Till studien valdes en kvalitativ forskningsansats som bearbetades utifrån en tematisk analysmetod. Resultat: Psykoterapeuterna beskriver svårigheterna att möta det ofattbara våldet i patienternas berättelser, hur de skyddar sig, hur de bär hoppet, hur de kan stå ut och hur de kan använda sina reaktioner i terapin. Här lyfts också konsekvenser för dem och behovet av återhämtning. Diskussion: Resultatet diskuteras utifrån de teoretiska begreppen motöverföring, projektiv identifikation, härbärgering och trauma. Terapeuternas reaktioner bekräftar tidigare forskning av kroppsliga och känslomässiga reaktioner och diskuteras utifrån den omfattande påverkan reaktionerna har på terapeuterna yrkesmässigt och för privatliv. / Introduction: There are few research references on psychotherapists physical and emotional reactions in the patient work. This thematic analysis is based on psychotherapists who work with people suffering from trauma, as previous studies indicate powerful physical and emotional reactions in the work with this target group. The purpose of the study is to illustrate how psychotherapists describe their experiences, both negative and positive, and how they handle them. Questions: How do psychodynamic psychotherapists describe theirphysical and emotional reactions in the work with traumatized patients? How do they handle their own reactions? Method: Five licensed psychotherapists with psychodynamic training in Sweden working with patients with trauma were interviewed. This qualitative researchapproach was processed with a thematic analysis. Results: Psychotherapists describe difficulties facing the unimaginable violence in the patients' stories, how to protect themselves, how they carry hope, how they can cope with it and how they can use their reactions in therapy sessions. It also highlights the consequences regarding themselves and the need for recovery. Discussion: The result is discussed from the theoretical concepts of countertransference, projective identification, containment and trauma. The psychotherapists´ reactions confirm earlier research of physical and emotional reactions, and isbeing discussed out of the wide impact the reactions have on psychotherapists´ professional and personal life.

There are negative personal, psychological, and professional implications of working with individuals who have suffered from trauma, to include secondary trauma. A significant research gap exists in regard to how secondary trauma bears on psychosocial assistants (PAs). Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has a shortage of trained and licensed mental health providers, and as a result, mental health services have been shifted to PAs. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory and Orem's theory of self-care, this qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of secondary trauma, through face to face interviews with 13 PAs in Bukavu. The collected data was analyzed using Bryman's four stages of coding. This study found that PAs experienced symptoms of secondary trauma. In talking about their experiences, the themes that emerged included personal changes, perseverance, fear and insecurity, suffering, "thinking too much," nervousness, feeling lost, conflict of compassion, hopelessness, helplessness, religion, faith, the role of God and conflict. PAs had limited knowledge of secondary trauma, its effects and how to manage it. Loneliness, strength, faith, time, money and self-protection, were prominent themes around PAs' discussion of their training and experiences with coping. The findings of this research add to the understanding of secondary trauma of these PAs and may influence the personal and professional wellbeing of PAs through gaining knowledge about their experiences. Understanding secondary trauma in PAs may impact social change in the DRC through influencing the structuring of policies and delivery of mental health services to protect workers and beneficiaries.

abstract: This exploratory qualitative study is the first to examine secondary trauma experiences among capital trial defense practitioners, including attorneys, mitigation specialists, paralegals, and investigators, who work as a team in representing indigent clients facing a charge of capital murder which may result in the death penalty. Death penalty jurisprudence has been critically examined in numerous ways, and the negative psychological effects on those who are involved in the process is one of the issues that limited studies have documented. However, no systemic investigation of secondary trauma associated with capital trial defense practice for indigent clients has been conducted to date, and this dissertation aims to address this gap in knowledge. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews using an interview guide, which allows participants to express their experiences in their own words in depth, while the researcher can stay focused on the research questions of the study. Data were analyzed using a constructivist phenomenological approach, and thematic identifications were conducted under overarching categories that were closely related to research questions including (1) motivation to engage in capital trial defense practice for indigent clients, (2) challenges in defending clients who face the death penalty, (3) emotional reactions to clients receiving death verdicts, (4) effects of the stress on the practitioners, (5) coping strategies, and (6) support system. The findings indicate that a significant number of the participants had secondary traumatic experiences because of their engagement in capital trial defense practice for indigent clients. A death verdict for clients was perceived as a traumatic experience by the participants because of their long-term empathetic engagement with their clients and their family members as well as the dehumanization against their clients in death penalty jurisprudence. The participants often experienced stigmatization in their communities that was associated with their work, while organizational support in recognizing their emotional pain and attendance to psychological needs was unavailable. The findings of this study suggest that the human cost of the death penalty should be re-examined and organizational effects be made to address the negative psychological effects associated with capital trial defense practice for indigent clients. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Social Work 2016

The aim of the study is to examine if family therapists who work with traumatized clients in family treatment and investigation are affected by secondary trauma and whether there are opportunities to recover from work. To answer the study’s aim and questions, a qualitative method has been used where ten semi-structured interviews have been conducted. The collected empirical data has subsequently been interpreted and analyzed of the basis of previous research and Isdal's and Figley's psychological explanations of concepts. The results show that the family therapists experience secondary traumatic stress at work, but that a few have developed severe or long-term symptoms of secondary trauma as a result from the work. The results also indicate that family therapists who have experienced previous trauma feel strengthened in their professional role, while others feel that the event has weakened their ability to treat and provide support towards the client. Furthermore, the results show that several family therapists possess individual resources and strategies that enable their chances of recovery. However, the organization lacks methods in terms of offering organizational support that leads to deteriorating conditions for the family therapist’s recovery. / Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka om familjebehandlare som arbetar med traumatiserade klienter i familjebehandling och utredning påverkas av sekundär traumatisering och om det finns möjligheter att återhämta sig från arbetet. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställningar har en kvalitativ metod använts där tio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts. Den insamlade empirin har därefter tolkats och analyserat utifrån tidigare forskning samt Isdals och Figleys psykologiska begreppsförklaringar. Resultatet visar att familjebehandlarna upplever sekundär traumatisk stress i arbetet men att ett fåtal har utvecklat allvarliga eller långvariga symtom för sekundär traumatisering till följd av arbetet. Resultatet indikerar även att familjebehandlare som erfarit tidigare trauman upplever sig stärkta i yrkesrollen medan andra upplever att händelsen försvagat deras förmåga att bemöta och tillhandahålla stödjande verktyg för klienten. Vidare synliggör resultatet att flera familjebehandlare besitter individuella resurser och strategier som möjliggör deras chans till återhämtning. Verksamheten brister dock i avseende att erbjuda organisatoriskt stöd som leder till försämrade förutsättningar till familjebehandlarnas återhämtning.

Barns trauma är allt annat än enkelt- sekundär traumatisering hos socialarbetare Child trauma is anything but simple- social workers affected by secondary traumatization The purpose of this study is to examine how social workers who work with abused children are affected by secondary trauma, what consequences can be caused bysecondary trauma, and how to prevent social workers from developing secondary trauma. The theoretical framework includes Lazarus & Folkman's (1984) coping theory and the Demand-control-support theory (Karasek & Theorell, 1990). This study is a structured literature review but with method features from systematic literature studies. To explore the questions, the process of finding and screening articles included three databases and a manual search. This process started with 91 articles and was deducted to the final 10 articles that met the criteria and were analyzed through a narrative synthesis. The results showed that the following themes: workload and work experience, work environment and organizational factors, and the conflict between work and family life are affecting the risk for social workers to develop secondary trauma. Consequences that were identified included physical, psychological, and other types of consequences. Preventative actions included self-care, coping strategies, and protective factors. These results were discussed in reference to previous research and theoretical framework. To conclude, social workers who work with abused children are at risk of being affected by secondary trauma. The consequences and preventive actions differ depending on the context and person. Thus, finding a blueprint for avoiding and minimizing the risk of developing secondary traumatization does not exist, instead, it is a process where strategies are continually evolving.  Keywords: Secondary trauma, social workers, abused children, work environment. Nyckelbegrepp: Sekundär traumatisering, socialarbetare, våldsutsatta barn, arbetsmiljö. Stacey Carlsten Wordcount: 15845

This study aims to examine the understanding of compassion fatigue, the burdens of social work, and its relevance within different social work organisations. Interviews were conducted with eight social work managers from various workplaces across Sweden. Participants volunteered to take part in the study. The interviewees had between 14 - 36 years of experience in the field of social work. This study used a qualitative study method and semi-structured interviews were conducted. A thematic analysis was used and three main themes were created: a varying understanding of compassion fatigue, the vulnerability of working with vulnerable people and workplace wellness.  The results found that when asked to define compassion fatigue participants identified it as synonymous with secondary traumatic stress disorder and as a form of empathic numbness. They acknowledged that working with people in need can be difficult and it is important to have a healthy workplace to stay in the field of social work. The main findings are that the respondents' understanding of the phenomenon was not complete and that a lack of distance from their clients and an unawareness of oneself are risk factors for suffering from compassion fatigue. In summary, we concluded that more knowledge is needed about the phenomenon and increased opportunities for students to prepare for what impact the social work profession can have on their health and wellbeing. / Denna studie syftar till att undersöka chefers upplevelse och förståelse av empatitrötthet samt arbetets påverkan på medarbetarna inom olika verksamheter för socialt arbete. Intervjuer genomfördes med åtta chefer för verksamheter inom socialt arbete på olika arbetsplatser över hela Sverige. Respondenternas medverkan i studien var frivillig och de hade mellan 14 - 36 års erfarenhet inom socialt arbete. Studien har utgått från en kvalitativ ansats genom användning av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Utifrån en tematisk analys skapades tre teman; varierande förståelse av empatitrötthet, utsattheten i att jobba med utsatta samt att må väl på arbetsplatsen.  Studiens resultat visar att när respondenterna ombads definiera empatitrötthet beskrevs fenomenet nära sammanvävt med sekundär traumatisering och som en form av empatisk avdomnad. Respondenterna uppmärksammade den emotionella påverkan som klientnära arbete kan innebära och vikten av att ha en hälsosam arbetsplats för att medarbetaren ska klara av arbetet. De huvudsakliga fynd som studien redovisar är att respondenternas förståelse av fenomenet var ofullständig samt att avsaknad av distans till ens klienter och en omedvetenhet om sig själv är riskfaktorer för att drabbas av empatitrötthet. Sammanfattningsvis landade vi i slutsatserna att det behövs mer kunskap om fenomenet och ökad möjlighet för studenter att förbereda sig på hur yrket kan påverka en.