Secondary Traumatic Stress in Mental Health Professionals

Abstract

Mental health professionals working with traumatic stress may experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, similar to their patients. For these professionals, secondary traumatic stress can be an important concept. It involves emotions, thoughts, and actions that emerge when a mental health worker becomes aware of a catastrophic event experienced by someone familiar, valued, and connected. In the literature, terms such as vicarious trauma, occupational burnout, and compassion fatigue are associated with secondary traumatic stress. Growing research presents that secondary traumatic stress is associated with personal trauma history, temperament, type of coping with stress, and levels of social support. The aim of this paper is to review and present the current situation of secondary traumatic stress and related concepts in mental health workers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatry nurses, social workers, and so forth. In Türkiye, where several traumatic experiences (such as earthquake) are currently common, studying secondary traumatic stress in mental health workers is also significant. Healthy coping strategies, a resilient personality, and the display of signs of post-traumatic growth can contribute to the psychological well-being of mental health professionals. In this investigation the concept of secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals, associated factors with this concept, coping mechanisms of secondary traumatic stress are explained in the light of the literature. Based on the emerging research, some recommendations are stated.

Keywords

• secondary trauma
• post traumatic growth
• post traumatic depreciation
• mental health professionals

Ruh Sağlığı Çalışanlarında İkincil Travmatik Stres

Öz

Travmatik stresle çalışan ruh sağlığı profesyonelleri, çalıştıkları kişilerle benzer şekilde travma sonrası stres bozukluğu belirtileri yaşayabilirler. Bu profesyoneller için ikincil travmatik stres önemli bir kavramdır. İkincil travmatik stres, bir ruh sağlığı çalışanının tanıdığı, değer verdiği ve profesyonel ilişki kurduğu bir kişinin yaşadığı travmatik bir olayın farkına vardığında ortaya çıkan duygular, düşünceler ve davranışları içerir. Alanyazında, ikincil travmatik stres ile ilişkilendirilen terimler arasında temsili/üstlenilmiş travma, mesleki tükenmişlik, merhamet yorgunluğu ve karşı aktarım bulunmaktadır. Artan araştırmalar, ikincil travmatik stresin kişisel travma geçmişi, mizaç, stresle başa çıkma türü ve sosyal destek düzeyleri ile ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu makalenin amacı, psikiyatristler, psikologlar, psikiyatri hemşireleri, sosyal hizmet uzmanları ve benzeri ruh sağlığı çalışanlarında ikincil travmatik stres ve ilgili kavramların mevcut durumunu gözden geçirmek ve güncel çalışmaları sunmaktır. Deprem gibi çeşitli travmatik deneyimlerin yaygın olduğu Türkiye'de, ruh sağlığı çalışanlarında ikincil travmatik stresin incelenmesi de önemlidir. Sağlıklı başa çıkma stratejileri, dayanıklı bir kişilik ve travma sonrası büyüme belirtilerinin gösterilmesi, ruh sağlığı profesyonellerinin psikolojik iyi oluşuna katkıda bulunabilir. Bu incelemede, ruh sağlığı profesyonellerinde ikincil travmatik stres kavramı, bu kavramla ilişkili faktörler, ikincil travmatik stresle başa çıkma mekanizmaları alanyazın ışığında açıklanmıştır. Ortaya çıkan araştırmalara dayanarak bazı öneriler belirtilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ikincil travma
• ruh sağlığı çalışanları
• travma sonrası büyüme
• travma sonrası yıpranma

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