Factors related to secondary traumatic stress among psychologists following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, cilt.56, sa.6, ss.505-515, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 56 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1037/pro0000651
- Dergi Adı: Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CINAHL, Psicodoc, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.505-515
- Anahtar Kelimeler: attachment, coping, earthquakes, mental health, secondary traumatic stress
- Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Existing literature highlights the importance of investigating secondary traumatic stress among psychologists, especially as a result of working with clients who have experienced traumatic events. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes of February 6, 2023, on psychologists’ levels of secondary traumatic stress. It further explores the roles of personal trauma history, attachment styles, coping mechanisms, and social support in this context. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that secondary traumatic stress was positively associated with personal trauma history, anxious-avoidant attachment styles, and helpless coping strategies. Conversely, it was negatively associated with social support and self-confident coping. Additionally, perceived income level and the extent of personal emotional impact from the earthquakes correlated positively with secondary traumatic stress, while benefits gained from trauma-focused training correlated negatively. Mediation analyses demonstrated that helpless and self-confident coping strategies mediated the relationship between anxious and avoidant attachment styles and secondary traumatic stress. Findings suggest that personal trauma history extends beyond childhood experiences. Factors such as attachment style, coping strategies, and organizational aspects including financial stability and the quality of trauma education are linked to secondary traumatic stress. These results underscore practical implications for developing targeted interventions and training programs aimed at protecting psychologists from secondary traumatic stress and enhancing resilience within the mental health workforce. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) Psychologists who support others through traumatic experiences may themselves be vulnerable to emotional distress known as secondary traumatic stress. This study found that it was not childhood trauma per se but psychologists’ personal perception of their overall trauma history that heightened this risk. Insecure attachment styles and passive coping strategies were also associated with increased stress levels, whereas social support, financial stability, and trauma-specific training served as protective factors. Interestingly, the number of therapy clients did not predict stress levels. These findings can inform the development of training and workplace support systems aimed at enhancing psychologists’ resilience during crises such as pandemics or natural disasters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)