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Mental health professionals are at a heightened risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) due to the higher prevalence of trauma-exposed individuals seeking clinical help compared to the general population. The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to explore the association between exposure to workplace violence (WPV) and secondary traumatic stress, and the potential mitigating effects of organizational support and (2) to examine how the workplace setting (inpatient vs outpatient) affects the experience of STS. The study was cross-sectional. Over 58 days, survey data was collected from mental health professionals working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. A total of 2,549 professionals responded. The overall prevalence of STS across settings was 87%. The highest reported secondary traumatic stress levels were among nurse practitioners/APRNs (49.29%), followed by nurses (47.94%) and psychiatrists (46.85%). Levels of STS occurred at slightly higher levels among professionals in outpatient settings (48.39%) than those in inpatient settings (45.11%). Increased exposure to WPV correlated with higher levels of STS, while higher levels of perceived organizational support (POS) had a moderating effect on STS levels. This study suggests that STS is a significant phenomenon and that mental health professionals are at risk for developing the condition. Organizational support can play a role in mitigating the effects of WPV and STS. Interventions aimed at improving organizational support and building psychological resilience may help reduce the prevalence of STS among this population.
Coates et al. (Fri,) studied this question.