TY - JOUR
T1 - Marriage and Family Therapists’ Exposure to Trauma, Access to Support, and Intention to Leave
T2 - It Takes a Village
AU - Armes, Stephanie E.
AU - Seponski, Desiree M.
AU - Bride, Brian E.
AU - Bryant, Chalandra M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Secondary traumatic stress (STS), or experiencing trauma through exposure to clients’ traumatic stories, occurs across helping professions. No studies have focused solely on STS in Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs). In a sample of MFTs (N = 201), this study hypothesized that exposure to trauma through therapeutic work would be associated with STS and MFTs’ intentions to leave their job. Findings indicated trauma exposure was positively associated with STS (β =.33, p <.001) and intention to leave (β =.18, p <.001). STS partially mediated the association between MFTs’ exposure to trauma in their work and intention to leave (β =.06, p <.05). Compassion satisfaction (β = −.49, p <.001) and organizational commitment to resilience building (β = −.26, p <.001) were negatively associated with intention to leave. The final model accounted for 58% of the variance in intention to leave. Prevention implications are discussed.
AB - Secondary traumatic stress (STS), or experiencing trauma through exposure to clients’ traumatic stories, occurs across helping professions. No studies have focused solely on STS in Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs). In a sample of MFTs (N = 201), this study hypothesized that exposure to trauma through therapeutic work would be associated with STS and MFTs’ intentions to leave their job. Findings indicated trauma exposure was positively associated with STS (β =.33, p <.001) and intention to leave (β =.18, p <.001). STS partially mediated the association between MFTs’ exposure to trauma in their work and intention to leave (β =.06, p <.05). Compassion satisfaction (β = −.49, p <.001) and organizational commitment to resilience building (β = −.26, p <.001) were negatively associated with intention to leave. The final model accounted for 58% of the variance in intention to leave. Prevention implications are discussed.
KW - Marriage and family therapists
KW - intention to leave
KW - secondary traumatic stress
KW - support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161932661&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85161932661&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/2692398X.2023.2223119
DO - 10.1080/2692398X.2023.2223119
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85161932661
SN - 2692-398X
VL - 35
SP - 178
EP - 197
JO - International Journal of Systemic Therapy
JF - International Journal of Systemic Therapy
IS - 2
ER -