Secondary traumatic stress among child protective service workers: Prevalence, severity and predictive factors.

Abstract

This study assesses the prevalence and severity of secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms among a sample of southern child protective service (CPS) workers. Using a survey research design, up to 37% of the respondents were found to be experiencing clinical levels of emotional distress associated with STS. In addition, levels of work exposure and work related personal trauma were found to be strongly associated with the presence of those symptoms. Preventive and interventive strategies to address these findings are suggested.