Can organizational efforts lead to less secondary traumatic stress? A longitudinal investigation of change.

Abstract

Objectives: Current best practice approaches suggest that to address secondary traumatic stress (STS) a two-pronged perspective that considers individual and organizational factors over time is warranted. However, research documenting the impact of organizational efforts on individual experience with STS is lacking. In this study, it was hypothesized that as an organization becomes more STS informed, there would be decreases in reported levels of STS and burnout (BO) in individuals over time; and these changes would be associated with higher levels of implementation activity and increased use of interventions to improve physical and psychological safety. Methods: This study uses data from 2,345 responses, representing 7 groups involved in an organizational change process aimed at creating STS informed organizations in a department of health and human services. The Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed Organizational Assessment (STSI-OA), the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), and the Professional Quality of Life-5 BO subscales measured variables of interest. Using a longitudinal design, baseline, post, and follow-up datawere collected. Results: One-way ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in STSI-OA, STSS, and BO scores across time (p-value <.05). Linear mixed models reveal that significant declines in STSS scores were associated with improved STSI-OA scores (p = <.001), after adjusting for age, gender, time, and level of implementation activity. Implications: These results support the hypothesis that organizational efforts can improve an individual's perceived level of distress, and that focused attention to the issue of secondary trauma in an organization can improve organizational and individual outcomes using a data-driven change approach.