Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) among Security Forces
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/k0ar0162Keywords:
Secondary Traumatic Stress, Security Forces, Trauma, IraqAbstract
Purpose: This article aims to examine the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among security forces as well as to investigate the difference in STS according to educational level and social state. Methods: (203) participants of security forces were selected from the internal ministry. The Arabic version of the scale of secondary traumatic stress (STS) is used to achieve the study's objects. Results: The results showed that the most common symptoms identified were inability to recall traumatized colleagues' information, followed by cued physiological reaction, irritability, and hypervigilance. However, fewer symptoms experienced were reported in diminished activity level, avoidance of people, places, and things, and emotional numbing. In addition, the results found that females reported more symptoms of STS than males. However, no significant differences were found in STS according to educational level and social state.
Downloads
References
[1] APA. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
[2] Beck, C. (2011). Secondary Traumatic Stress in Nurses: A Systematic Review. Archives of psychiatric
nursing, 25, 1-10.
[3] Bride, B. (2007). Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers. Social work, 52, 63-
70.
[4] Bride, B.E., & Figley, C.R. (2009). Secondary Trauma and Military Veteran Caregivers. Smith College
Studies in Social Work, 79(3-4), 314-329.
[5] Bride, B.E., Robinson, M.M., Yegidis, B., & Figley, C.R. (2004). Development and Validation of the
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. 14(1), 27-35.
[6] Clark, M.L., & Gioro, S. (1998). Nurses, Indirect Trauma, and Prevention. 30(1), 85-87.
[7] Dominguez-Gomez, E., & Rutledge, D.N. (2009). Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress Among
Emergency Nurses. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 35(3), 199-204.
[8] Figley, C.R. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Toward a new understanding of the costs of caring. In Secondary
traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, and educators (pp. 3-28). Baltimore, MD ,
US: The Sidran Press.
[9] Fine, C.G. (1994). Herman, Judith Lewis (1992). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence. New
York: Basic Books, ix, 268, $27.00. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 36(3), 211-213.
[10] Greinacher, A., Derezza-Greeven, C., Herzog, W., & Nikendei, C. (2019). Secondary traumatization in first responders: a systematic review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1562840-1562840.
[11] Hurrell, A.K., Draycott, S., & Andrews, L. (2018). Secondary traumatic stress in police officers investigating childhood sexual abuse. Policing: An International Journal, 41(5), 636-650.
[12] MacEachern, A.D., Dennis, A.A., Jackson, S., & Jindal-Snape, D. (2019). Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 34(2), 165-174.
[13] MacEachern, A.D., Jindal-Snape, D., & Jackson, S. (2011). Child Abuse Investigation: Police Officers and Secondary Traumatic Stress. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 17(4), 329-339.
[14] Najlaa, N.W. (2016). Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Military Parents of Iraqi Army Mustansiriyah Journal of Arts (72), 1-25.
[15] Palm, K.M., Polusny, M.A., & Follette, V.M. (2004). Vicarious Traumatization: Potential Hazards and Interventions for Disaster and Trauma Workers. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 19(1), 73-78.
[16] Pearlman, L., & Saakvitne, K. (1995). Trauma and the therapist: Countertransference and vicarious traumatization in psychotherapy with incest survivors.
[17] Salston, M., & Figley, C.R. (2003). Secondary Traumatic Stress Effects of Working with Survivors of Criminal Victimization. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16(2), 167-174.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 AUTHOR
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
