Abstract

Helping professionals, such as social workers, emergency first responders and medical personnel are susceptible to traumatic stress reactions through indirect exposure to trauma via the traumatized population whom they serve. This phenomenon, known as secondary traumatic stress (STS), mimicking the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, can have an impact on a provider’s work with his/her patient or have longer-term effects such as deciding to leave the profession. This study found that physicians’ level of job stress was the strongest predictor of STS and that this relationship was also influenced by resiliency, ego strength and attachment style. Individuals with higher levels of resiliency and ego strength reported less traumatic stress symptoms. Secure attachment style was not found to be associated with STS symptoms but fearful attachment and anxious-avoidant attachment, when examined separately, were significant predictors of STS but shared variability with resiliency. Future research should examine the traumatic stress beliefs to determine if this impacts the development of traumatic stress symptoms.

LLU Discipline

Clinical Psychology

Department

Clinical Psychology

School

Graduate Studies

First Advisor

Kimberly Freeman

Second Advisor

Shamel Abd-Allah

Third Advisor

Todd Burley

Fourth Advisor

Ludmila Zaytsev

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2010

Date (Title Page)

9-2010

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic -- psychology; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Physicians -- psychology; Burnout, Professional -- diagnosis; Professional-Patient Relations; Attitude of Health Personnel; Workplace -- psychology; Linear Models.

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

x; 113

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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