In December 2019, a novel version of the SARS virus, called SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. By mid-March of 2020, the United States had begun the process of the shutting down and quarantining to minimize the spread of the virus. In conjunction with a dramatic shift in professional experiences, counselors would also be exposed to greater stressors associated with COVID-19 while continuing work as shadowed "frontline" workers tending to the surge of those seeking mental health care resulting from increasing anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. However, despite the emerging information regarding the professional quality of life (ProQOL) and wellness of "frontline workers" there was little evidence emanating related to how the stressors of COVID-19 were impacting counselors. Compassion fatigue (CF), burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) are occupational hazards threatening counselors resulting from exposure to trauma, interpersonal stress and vocational demand. These phenomena have been extensively researched among counselors and demonstrate positive relationships between counselors' experiences of stress and higher levels of negative compassion outcomes. Similarly, wellness has been empirically supported as a countermeasure to these professional threats, serving to minimize the effects of burnout, CF and STS by improving the internal resiliency of counselors while simultaneously improving experiences of compassion satisfaction (CS). However, aside from conceptual speculation and preliminary investigation into counselor coping patterns, little evidence has surfaced demonstrating what relationship exists between counselor wellness and the unique stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study used quantitative methodology to analyze a cross-sectional survey of a national sample of counselors in the United States (N = 318) that assessed for counselor wellness, ProQOL and reported, COVID-19 related stress. This investigation examined how counselor wellness and ProQOL differs during a later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous samples, how specific counselor demographics related to COVID-19 stress appraisal and how counselor reports of COVID-19 related stress relates to their wellness and ProQOL. Results indicate a significant difference between counselor reports of wellness and ProQOL compared to previous investigations, with a pattern of this sample producing lower wellness and CS scores and higher burnout and STS scores. Additionally, significant relationships between counselor gender and racial identities and COVID-19 related stress were found. Lastly, results indicate significant, negative relationships between reported COVID-19 stress and multiple aspects of wellness, while significant, positive relationships were found between reported COVID-19 stress and both burnout and STS. The findings of this investigation will contribute to the foundational insight into how counselor reports of COVID-19 related stress relates to their wellness and ProQOL. / Doctor of Philosophy / Over the last two years, the United States has been experiencing the stress and loss associated with the world-wide, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Counselors have continued to provide mental health and school-counseling related services to their clients and students despite exposure to the unique demands and stressors related to COVID-19. Regardless of increased stress exposure, little evidence is available to explain how stress related to COVID-19 has impacted counselor professional quality of life (ProQOL) and wellness – both of which are essential for professional longevity and ethical practice. The current investigation explored and examined how current, reported COVID-19 related stress related to reported wellness and ProQOL for counselors within the United States. Counselors were found to have lower wellness and compassion satisfaction (CS) scores, and higher burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) scores, as compared to samples from before the pandemic. Counselors with racial and gender minority identities were also found to demonstrate higher COVID-19 stress appraisal. Lastly, COVID-19 related stress was found to have negative relationships with counselor wellness and positive relationships with both burnout and STS, thus forming a negative relationship with CS. Further research is needed to help determine how sociocultural events within the United States upon counselor wellness and professional quality of life, as these have occurred in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, further research is required to understand how minority groups of counselors have uniquely experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and how those experiences impact their reports of wellness and ProQOL.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115588 |
| Date | 28 November 2022 |
| Creators | Kirsch, Jennifer Lynn |
| Contributors | Education, Community College, Lawson, Gerard Francis, Welfare, Laura Everhart, Ellington, Breanna Lea, Kniola, David John |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Coverage | United States |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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