The prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress among alcohol and other drug workers in Australia

Phillipa Ewer, Maree Teesson, Claudia Sannibale, Ann Roche, Katherine Mills

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    48 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Introduction and Aims: The high prevalence of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among clients of alcohol and other drug (AOD) services is well documented. Less is known, however, about the impact this has on workers who assess and treat such clients. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among AOD workers in Australia. Design and Methods: An anonymous web-based survey was undertaken and completed by 412 Australian AOD workers. The questionnaire assessed current levels of trauma training, extent of exposure to clients with a history of trauma history, AOD workers' own history of trauma exposure and PTSD, and current STS. Analyses compared individuals who currently met criteria for experiencing STS with those who did not. Results: Despite the high volume of traumatised clients accessing AOD services, less than two-thirds of AOD workers reported having ever received trauma training. The prevalence rate of STS was 19.9% and was independently predicted by a higher traumatised client workload, fewer hours of clinical supervision, and stress and anxiety levels of the worker. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of providing adequate trauma training and clinical supervision to AOD workers in order to maintain their health and welfare and ensure optimal treatment to clients with PTSD. [Ewer PL, Teesson M, Sannibale C, Roche A, Mills KL. The prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress among alcohol and other drug workers in Australia.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)252-258
    Number of pages7
    JournalDrug and Alcohol Review
    Volume34
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2015

    Keywords

    • Clinical supervision
    • PTSD
    • Secondary traumatic stress
    • Substance abuse
    • Workforce

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The prevalence and correlates of secondary traumatic stress among alcohol and other drug workers in Australia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this