A Quantitative Analysis of Mindfulness Practice as Self-Care for Social Workers in an Urban Setting

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress (STS) amongst licensed social workers in New York City. The research that was conducted was a quantitative analysis. Participants consisted of 154 social workers that were employed in a variety of agency based or private practice settings. Participants were asked to complete an electronic survey that included: (1) a questionnaire of professional characteristics and demographic information; (2) Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale - Revised (CAMS-R); (3) Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ); (3) Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS). The data was analyzed by the use of SPSS. The multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that higher level of mindfulness is related to an increase in job satisfaction (B=1.13, SE=.09, β=.73, p.001) and lower STS for social workers (B=-.66, SE=.11, β=-.49, p.001).