Secondary traumatic stress in psychologists who work with children victims of maltreatment and sexual abuse: An exploratory study

Secondary traumatic stress is a kind of job stress that affects professionals dedicated to help victims of traumatic events. This disorder is common in those professionals who work with victims of violence, and especially in those who work with children and adolescents, although there are few studies about it. The aim of this study was to compare the secondary traumatic stress levels between psychologists who work in centers for victims of child maltreatment and sexual abuse and psychologists who work in other contexts. Method: The sample consisted of 259 professionals (M= 33.3 years, SD= 8.0 years), 190 women and 69 men. 56.4% worked in specialized centers for victims of child maltreatment and sexual abuse, while the other 43.6% worked with other kinds of patients. All respondents answered the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (Bride, Robinson, Yegidis y Figley, 2004). Results: Psychologists who treat victims of child maltreatment and sexual abuse had significantly higher levels of all secondary traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, psychologists working with child trauma exceed the cutoff point more frequently than psychologists working in other contexts. Conclusion: Given the serious implications that these results may have for therapists and their patients, it is necessary to create strategies for care and self-care for psychologists who work with child victims. More research is required in this area to clarify the course of the disorder, and the most appropriate strategies to cope with it.