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Sprang G, Gusler S, Eslinger J, Gottfried R. The Relationship Between Secondary Traumatic Stress and Compassion Satisfaction: A Systematic Literature Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2024; 25:2282-2296. [PMID: 37981840 DOI: 10.1177/15248380231209438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
This systematic literature review examines the relationship between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and compassion satisfaction (CS) to identify the state of the science and directions for future research. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis framework was used to guide the identification and evaluation of studies. Eight academic databases were systematically searched between July and December of 2022 to identify articles and dissertations published in English or Hebrew between 2000 and 2022. Studies were considered for inclusion if they examined the relationship between STS and CS and met an established quality threshold. If studies used a mixed methods approach, only quantitative results were included in the review. The search strategy yielded 537 studies with 33 included in the final review. Findings of this review suggest experiences of high levels of STS can coexist with high levels of CS indicating that people can gain satisfaction from their work and experience STS. Most studies examined the relationship between STS and CS using bivariate analyses with variability found in the direction of the relationship. This variability was also found in multivariate studies included in this review. These findings suggest the need for interventions to address both STS and CS with attention paid to the potential negative impact of emotional contagion and the vulnerability of younger female practitioners. Future research should pay attention to the rigor of the analysis of STS and CS and the exploration of mediating or moderating mechanisms between these constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginny Sprang
- Department of Psychiatry and Center on Trauma and Children, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
| | - Stephanie Gusler
- Department of Psychiatry and Center on Trauma and Children, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
| | - Jessica Eslinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Center on Trauma and Children, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
| | - Ruth Gottfried
- The David Yellin Academic College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel
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McLaren H, Patmisari E, Huang Y. Professional Quality of Life of Foster and Kinship Carers in Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States: A Scoping Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2024; 25:2390-2406. [PMID: 38041424 PMCID: PMC11155225 DOI: 10.1177/15248380231213322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Professional quality of life (ProQOL) refers to workers' subjective feelings associated with work involved in helping others who have experienced trauma. It consists of positive and negative aspects, that is, subscales of compassion satisfaction, and burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Foster and kinship caring inherently involves risks associated with exposure to the trauma responses of children in their care. This exposure can lead to poor ProQOL, carer attrition, and placement instability. While limited studies specifically explore ProQOL of carers, many studies have examined factors and interventions related to ProQOL. However, there is a lack of synthesis of these studies. To fill such a research gap, we undertook a scoping review of 70 empirical studies from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, published from 2012 to 2022 reporting on ProQOL, and its related factors and concepts. We applied a multilevel ecosocial construct to examine complex interrelationships between private and governance settings to better understand factors related to ProQOL of carers and interventions aimed to improve it in these dynamic systems. In our review, some studies showed positive outcomes for carers, such as reduced stress or burnout associated with training. However, there was insufficient attention to factors associated with ProQOL at relational and sociopolitical levels. It is crucial to improve carers' ProQOL or well-being to ensure their retention and placement stability. Long-term systemic improvements require interventions across different levels of the system.
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Tremblay K, Pagé G. Filial Trauma: The Experience of Adoptive Parents of Children with Complex Behavioral and Relational Problems. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2024; 17:691-705. [PMID: 38938957 PMCID: PMC11199428 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00601-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Children adopted from out-of-home care may present symptoms of developmental trauma that affect their functioning. This puts their adoptive parents at risk of experiencing secondary trauma. The purpose of this research was to understand the experience of adoptive parents who self-report symptoms of secondary trauma in relation to their child's symptoms of developmental trauma. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101, 2006) thematic analysis method. Ten adoptive parents were recruited from four community organizations providing support for adoptive parents or parents of children with attachment disorder. All participants reported feeling strong emotions related to secondary trauma, as well as physical and mental health issues that appeared after the child's arrival in the family. Participants reported experiencing aggression from their child, which greatly disturbed the parent-child relationship and led to the child being placed in residential care for half of the families involved in the study. Secondary trauma was insufficient to fully capture the experience of these parents as it failed to account for the suffering and distress linked to their efforts to establish a parent-child relationship. Instead, filial trauma was used to describe this experience. The authors conclude that a better understanding of filial trauma can contribute to improving post-adoption services for parents struggling to fulfill one of the most important roles of their lives: being the parent of their child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Tremblay
- UQTR, CEIDEF, 3351, Boulevard Des Forges, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières, Québec G9A 5H7 Canada
| | - Geneviève Pagé
- Université du Québec en Outaouais, 283, Boul. Alexandre-Taché, Bureau C-2313, Case Postale 1250, Succursale Hull, Gatineau, Québec J8X 3J7 Canada
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Teculeasa F, Golu F, Gorbănescu A. What Mediates the Link Between Foster Parents' Sensitivity Towards Child Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Job Satisfaction? The Role of Compassion Fatigue and Foster Parent-Child Relationship. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2023; 16:309-320. [PMID: 36590447 PMCID: PMC9792932 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-022-00513-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: It is very likely that many children who enter the foster care system have experienced at least one traumatic event, and can develop symptoms of PTSS. Consequently, foster parents' level of sensitivity towards child symptoms of PTSS plays a significant role in child development, but the link between sensitivity and several professional characteristics is not well understood. The current study aims to explain the effect foster parents' sensitivity towards child trauma exert on their job satisfaction, via foster parents' compassion fatigue and the quality of their relationship with the children in care. This study is one of the few to investigate foster parents' sensitivity towards child trauma, and the direct and indirect effects on other variables. Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediating model on this sample (N = 165) after using an online survey to collect the cross-sectional data. Results: The model produced good fit (RMSEA = 0.087; CFI = 0.899). The direct effects between variables are significant. The relationship between foster parents' sensitivity towards trauma and their job satisfaction can be better understood with the contribution of compassion fatigue. Conclusion: Findings confirm the mediation effect of compassion fatigue and reveal more aspects of the sensitivity towards trauma concept. These results could be implemented by considering more accurate measurements for the caregiver's sensitivity towards child trauma. The importance of considering interventions for increasing foster parents' trauma knowledge and skills is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Teculeasa
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 90 Panduri Street, 50663 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florinda Golu
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 90 Panduri Street, 50663 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adrian Gorbănescu
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, 90 Panduri Street, 50663 Bucharest, Romania
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Littlechild B, Housman C. Applying Universal Principles of ‘Best Interest’: Practice Challenges across Transnational Jurisdictions, Cultural Norms, and Values. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10030537. [PMID: 36980095 PMCID: PMC10047076 DOI: 10.3390/children10030537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
This article sets out key issues in determining and upholding the best interests of children, in need of social service support, who have family networks that span outside of the UK. These issues are then analysed against whether and how child protection professionals take these into account along with an overall consideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’s (UNCRC) ‘best interests of the child’, when assessing and planning for those needs in kinship care cases. Building on these themes, the findings of an exploratory study on international kinship care cases carried out by Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB), the UK branch of the non-governmental organisation, International Social Service, as well as CFAB’s associated Freedom of Information Requests to the UK government, are examined. These are then analysed in relation to legal and policy documents in England. Agency case records are analysed to identify a range of factors for children placed with ‘kinship’ carers across national borders, relating to the cultural relativity of the ‘best interest’ principle, the availability of family support in different social service structures, the understanding and application of legislation and policy in transnational contexts, and the availability of markers to track and analyse the scale of children crossing borders to join family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Littlechild
- Brian Littlechild, School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
- Correspondence:
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Ratzon A, Farhi M, Ratzon N, Adini B. Resilience at Work, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction of Social Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095500. [PMID: 35564893 PMCID: PMC9099676 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk due to exposure to varied populations in need, which may impact their resilience, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction. The study assessed resilience at work, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction among social workers in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May to June 2020). A convenience sample of 332 social workers (291 women (87.6%)) filled out an online, structured questionnaire that included demographics, a professional quality of life scale (ProQOL) (including three subscales), and resilience at work (RAW) (including seven subscales). The overall mean of the RAW was medium (M = 71, SD ± 8.9) compared to standardized scores. The mean scores of two of the subscales of the RAW, maintaining perspective and staying healthy, were low. The mean scores of the sub-scales of ProQOL were: compassion satisfaction was close to the 50th percentile (M = 48.25); burnout (M = 30.18) and secondary trauma (M = 26.27) were below the 25th percentile. Significant low to medium positive associations were found between all the dependent variables, except for staying healthy. A negative association was identified between compassion satisfaction and burnout, as well as between compassion satisfaction and secondary trauma. High levels of compassion satisfaction and contentment, low levels of secondary trauma, and having a managerial position were predicted to be 40% of the RAW. Lower levels of maintaining perspective, secondary trauma, and being younger predicted 27% of burnout. Higher levels of finding your calling, living authentically, maintaining perspective, interacting cooperatively, being older, and not being a manager predicted 58% of compassion satisfaction. Lower levels of burnout, maintaining perspective, and being younger predicted 36% of secondary trauma. As the COVID-19 pandemic still challenges most societies, policymakers should consider ways to integrate mechanisms that will enhance social workers’ resilience at work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anva Ratzon
- Independent Researcher, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Correspondence:
| | - Moshe Farhi
- Social Work Department, Tel-Hai College, Qiryat Shemona 1220800, Israel;
| | - Navah Ratzon
- Occupational Therapy Department, School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
| | - Bruria Adini
- Department of Emergency & Disaster Management, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
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Whitt-Woosley A, Sprang G, Eslinger J. Foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis of caregiver and professional experiences. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 124:105444. [PMID: 34972016 PMCID: PMC8669913 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research is needed to facilitate better understanding of how different groups have been impacted by COVID-19, especially those in already strained service systems such as foster care. These inquiries will support further response, recovery and preparedness efforts. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study addressed how professionals and caregivers in foster care described being affected by COVID-19 in order to support future research and planning for foster care systems in this pandemic context. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING A sample of foster parents and foster care professionals (N = 357) from a mostly rural, southeastern state in the U.S. participated in the study. METHODS Qualitative analysis was conducted of 357 open-ended responses regarding the impact of COVID-19 from a survey distributed in August 2020. RESULTS The coding process resulted in the identification of 15 distinct themes: Isolation & Loss of Social Support, Work Changes/Stressors, School Issues, Childcare Issues, No Impact/Positive Changes, Financial Problems, Fear of Contagion, Negative Child Welfare Impacts, Mental Health Problems/Stress, Loss of Faith/Trust & Societal Frustrations, Health & Mental Healthcare Access Issues, PPE & Testing Issues, Grief & Loss, and Marital Problems. Secondary impacts rather than direct physiologic effects of the virus were primarily reported. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the various challenges facing foster care systems, and how the pandemic context is exacerbating many of these issues. Further research is needed to ensure the implementation of adequately complex and nuanced responses that target needs and avoid creating further problems for foster care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Whitt-Woosley
- University of Kentucky, College of Medicine - Department of Psychiatry, United States of America.
| | - Ginny Sprang
- University of Kentucky, College of Medicine - Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
| | - Jessica Eslinger
- University of Kentucky, College of Medicine - Department of Psychiatry, United States of America
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Lewis M, Stirk S, Collie H, Ansbro Y, Johnson R, Karyofylli A, Woolley J, Erin L. Nurturing attachments group: A virtual group intervention for adults caring for traumatised children in the context of COVID-19. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 27:214-227. [PMID: 34984938 PMCID: PMC8819555 DOI: 10.1177/13591045211061807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Background: Evidence indicates that the more traditional and behavioural parenting strategies are ineffective when parenting a child who has experienced developmental trauma. Recognising the need to parent with an attachment focus, the current paper evaluates the effectiveness of running the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A pilot feasibility study evaluated eight bespoke groups. Consenting professionals and co-professionals completed the Brief Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (BFSS), Care Questionnaire (CQ) and the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Results: One hundred forty individuals attended the groups, with 51 (36%) completing both pre-and post-measures. The results provide evidence that professionals and co-professionals reported statistically significant positive increases on both the BPSS (d = .55) and CQ (d = .62). For the PRFQ, the results showed a statistically significant decrease on the Pre-mentalising sub scale, a non-significant mid-range score for Certainty about Mental States and a non-significant increase for Parental Interest and Curiosity in Mental States. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated initial viability of effectively facilitating the [Enfys] Nurturing Attachments Group, virtually. Importantly, it has also shown that the group can be run with professionals alongside co-professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Lewis
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
| | - Steven Stirk
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
| | - Harriet Collie
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
| | - Yasmin Ansbro
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
| | - Rachel Johnson
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | - Libby Erin
- 8903Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
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