Adrienne Whitt-Woosley

Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Burnout: Factors Impacting a Professional's Quality of Life.

This study examined the relationship between three variables, compassion fatigue (CF), compassion satisfaction (CS), and burnout, and provider and setting characteristics in a sample of 1,121 mental health providers in a rural southern state. Respondents completed the Professional Quality of Life Scale as part of a larger survey of provider practice patterns. Female gender was associated with higher levels of CF, and therapists with specialized training in trauma work reported higher levels of CS than nonspecialists. Provider discipline proved to be an important factor, with psychiatrists reporting higher levels of CF than their non-medicalcounterparts. When providers were compared using rural, urban, and rural with urban influence classifications, the most rural providers reported increased levels of burnout but could not be distinguished from their colleagues on the CF and CS subscales. Important practice, education, and policy implications are noted for a multidisciplinary audience.

The pathway to grandparenting stress: trauma, relational conflict, and emotional well-being

Objectives: This paper examines the mediating effect of child–grandparent conflict on the relationship between child trauma exposure and grandparenting stress. Methods: Data was collected from a sample of custodial grandparents who participated in kinship care or relative caregiving programs (n = 251). Grandparenting stress was measured with Parenting Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995) modified for grandparents. A series of regression models and structural equation models (SEM) were used to test the relationship between the number of different types of child trauma exposures and grandparenting stress, and to examine the mediating effect of child–grandparent conflicts on the relationship. Results: Almost three-fourths (72%) of children had experienced at least one type of traumatic exposure. The SEM model shows that childs trauma exposure indirectly affected grandparenting stress, mediated by child–grandparenting conflicts though no direct path between the childs trauma exposure variable and grandparenting stress was found. A higher level of child–grandparent conflicts was also associated with a lower level of emotional well-being among custodial grandparents. Conclusion: Based on these findings, recommendations are made about how to tailor a trauma-informed approach to the needs of custodial grandparents.

Narrative coherence and the trauma experience: an exploratory mixed-method analysis.

The current study examines trauma narratives from 28 survivors of interpersonal violence. A mixed-method approach assessed coherence and explored narrative characteristics among differentially exposed groups. The quantitative analysis revealed: (1) exposure to repetitive interpersonal violence was described with greater perception of severity and emotional tone than single interpersonal violence episodes, and (2) exposure to interpersonal violence in childhood was described with greater emotional tone than exposure to interpersonal violence in adulthood. The qualitative analysis revealed: (1) traumatic events were connected to proceeding adverse experiences, (2) attempted avoidance of memories of the violence, (3) an altered view of the self, and (4) lacked recognition that the violence was abnormal. The study supports the “dose-response relationship” of trauma exposure, and the life-altering, transformative nature of trauma exposure.

A Response from the Field: Perspectives on Translating Neuroscience to Clinical Practice.

The scientific meeting “From Neuroscience to Social Practice: Translational Research on Violence Against Children” sparked a dialogue between clinicians, researchers, and policy makers about the applicability and relevance of neuroscientific discoveries regarding the impact of violence towards children on contemporary behavioral health care practice. In this article, scientist-practitioners from the University of Kentucky Center for the Study on Violence Against Children react to the empirical and conceptual information presented during the meeting to provide a translational perspective on the utility of the science to clinical practice and research. These perspectives are multidisciplinary and multidimensional in nature, representing diverse fields of practice and multiple domains of inquiry.

Partners in Child Protection: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Assessment in Child Welfare

The Partners in Child Protection (PICP) project is a trauma-informed, evidence-based assessment and consultation program designed to support collaborative decision-making and service provision within the child welfare system. PICP is an academic-public child welfare partnership that utilizes state-of-the art assessment technologies to develop case plans that better promote the permanency, safety and well-being of children. PICP also supports decision-making through training, coaching, and consultation services provided to individual child welfare workers and service teams. The program serves trauma-exposed youth aged 0–18 who are actively involved in the child welfare system and includes two types of assessments—a comprehensive family assessment model and an individual trauma assessment model. Both assessment protocols employ overlapping methodologies designed to reduce bias and accurately identify areas of converging data to be targeted in case planning. PICP evaluation data indicates the successful identification of traumatic stress-related symptoms for referred children, the importance of applying a therapeutic jurisprudence framework when working with child welfare involved families, the reduction of risk rating scores for families receiving recommended services, and the utility of multi-method, standardized assessment approaches in child welfare. This chapter provides a description of the project, the assessment protocols utilized, and the implementation strategies applied to support and maintain the partnership. The incorporation of adequate structures to promote cultural sensitivity within the PICP project is also discussed.

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Social Science Researchers of Trauma-Exposed Populations

ABSTRACT There is an expanding research database regarding secondary trauma exposure among helping professionals across disciplines and settings. However, there is limited research on the incidence of secondary traumatic stress in social science researchers studying traumatized populations. Various disciplines engage in this area of research, which exposes them to the details of aversive events, especially those engaging in qualitative research. This study explores the impact of such exposure by measuring indicators of secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout (BO), and compassion satisfaction in a group of 104 researchers. Findings revealed high rates of exposure to traumatic material and a subset of researchers at risk for STS. Regression analyses revealed potential risk factors for STS and BO, and qualitative analysis was conducted to further explore the effects of this work on researchers from multiple disciplines.