ERIC Number: ED655937
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 97
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-7087-5517-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout among Student Support Personnel
Joanna Katsigeorgis
ProQuest LLC, Psy.D. Dissertation, Fairleigh Dickinson University
As mental health concerns have increased among school-aged students in the United States, student support personnel have assumed greater responsibility in providing mental health services in schools. In the United States, it is estimated that 7.7 million children need mental health support annually. Of those children who receive care, 70% to 80% receive mental health services in school. The purpose of this research study was to examine the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout among school psychologists, school counselors, and school social workers as indicated by the Professional Quality of Life (PROQOL) measure. Additionally, administration of the Brief COPE survey examined coping skills and self-care practices among participants to determine coping strategies that can serve as risk or protective factors among student support personnel who have experienced indirect trauma. Due to COVID-19, five questions were created to examine student support personnel's' preparedness for returning to school. Data were gathered from student support personnel (N = 230) recruited from closed Facebook groups for school psychologists, guidance counselors, and school social workers. Findings indicated that student support personnel experienced elevated levels of secondary trauma (53%) and burnout (56%). A Pearson correlation was used to explore the relationship between secondary trauma and burnout, with results indicating a positive correlation between secondary trauma and burnout scores (r (211) = 0.63, P < 0.05). Findings also indicated that participants had generally positive and consistent self-care routines in place to help them deal with stress. The most frequent coping strategies used were positive, with 60% of participants (n = 116) who claimed to engage in "acceptance" as a coping strategy between the items "a medium amount" to "a lot." To address if demographic variables, personal trauma, and coping skills (positive and negative) were related to elevated secondary trauma scores, elevated burnout scores, self-reported work productivity, and self-reported absenteeism, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Results of the regression analyses revealed that the only variable that predicted elevated burnout scores, elevated secondary trauma, and lower self-reported work productivity was negative coping strategies. Implications for supporting the mental health of student support personnel are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Trauma, Stress Variables, Burnout, Student Personnel Workers, Mental Health, School Counselors, School Social Workers, School Psychologists, Coping, Daily Living Skills, COVID-19, Pandemics
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A