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Helping professionals are always at some risk for burnout. Therapists or other mental health providers working with clients with trauma report increased burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF), and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Therapists with their own histories of adversity, as well as those who have experienced recent personal stressors are also more likely to be at risk of BO and the impact of disasters also carries increased risks . Increased job dissatisfaction, staff turnover, and declines in morale, in addition to risk of depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns are associated with BO. BO, CF, and STS also impact the client-provider relationship as BO impacts the provider’s ability to engage in rapport building and display empathy. Research is needed to assess the impact of BO and STS on mental health professionals working with clients impacted by traumatic events. Further, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rates of BO and STS requires further investigation.
Methods
This study used a cross-sectional international survey of Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) providers across the United States and Canada to explore mental health professionals’ levels of BO, CF, and STS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board. The survey was conducted online using Qualtrics and consisted of 86 questions including demographic variables, work setting, and COVID-19 history, as well as the Professional Quality of Life Scael (ProQol), Secondary Trauma Stress Scale (STSS), Brief Resilience Scale, Adverse Childhood Events Scale (ACES), K6 Scale, and an open-ended question related to coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was distributed online through email invitations to 1549 mental health practitioners identified through the TF-CBT Therapist Certification Program international database via Qualtrics from July 19, 2021 to September 10, 2021. There were a total of 349 responses for a 23% response rate and 237 fully completed surveys for a 68% completion rate. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and multiple regression to determine the impact of specific variables on rates of BO, CF, and STS.
Results
Results indicate mental health professionals rates of BO and STS were moderate to high during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors which influenced increased levels of BO and STS varied by the outcome variable. Factors such as brief resilience scale scores, K-6 total scores, and ACES scores were significant for BO; while compassion satisfaction, K-6 total scores, and ACES were significant for STS. Years in practice and COVID-19 related stress were not associated with greater levels of BO.
Conclusion
These results expound on factors associated with increased rates of BO and STS. The variations in these factors highlight the importance of workplace supports to increase job satisfaction through promotion of compassion satisfaction, resilience, and address mental health concerns in TF-CBT providers.