____________ Management of Post-Traumatic and Secondary Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Professionals
Self-monitoring. This involves the assessment of your responses to traumatic situations and the comparison of them to your normal responses. Specifically, are you aware of differences in your behavior under such circumstances? What do your colleagues notice about you? Are you avoiding any situations for a specific reason? Are you “just going through the motions” at work and at home? Keeping a Journal. This is an excellent way of expressing your- self and attempting to make sense of what is happening to you. Sit down in a quiet place and begin writing about whatever is on your mind. Slowly, thoughts and feelings will emerge. Minimize the Impact of Negative Thoughts. Expect to experi- ence transient, recurrent, intrusive thoughts after a traumatic event. They are likely to be most intense during the 24 to 48 hours directly after exposure. You can control the impact they have on you by allowing them to surface and saying to yourself, “Stop. I’m not going to think about this anymore.” Then intentionally distract yourself by thinking of something completely different, such as weekend plans. Normally, the frequency and intensity of the intrusive thoughts will diminish. If they persist, consult a mental health professional. Focus on What You Did Right. You may question your profes- sional competence in the aftermath of a traumatic experience, possibly resulting in a harsh critique of your clinical skills and abilities. You might think, “If only I had done that.” While it is always important to take time to review what might have been done better, it is equally important to acknowledge what you did do well. Follow Basic Health Principles. You can take several steps to bolster your resistance to the harmful effects of traumatic stress. • Get adequate rest. Lack of sleep can increase irritability, decrease concentration, and undermine the ability to handle stress. • Be active. Exercise provides a terrific means of dissipating restlessness and tension. • Eat properly. Adequate nutrition provides the metabolic energy necessary to endure stress. Avoid excessive use of stimulants such as caffeine, which may exacerbate anxiety. • Renew your sense of security through meditation, yoga, or prayer. • Establish routines that provide daily structure. • Recognize your tendency to ignore your stress level. • Recognize and accept your professional and personal limitations. • Maintain life balance. Work to establish and maintain a diversity of interests, activities, and relationships.
Supervision and Boundaries: Sarah discussed her workload and boundaries with her supervisor. She was able to reduce her caseload temporarily and implement more structured self-care breaks during her workday. OUTCOME Over time, with therapy and support, Sarah’s symptoms of secondary traumatic stress began to improve. She regained some of her enthusiasm for her job and learned healthier ways to cope with the emotional toll of her work. However, she continued to monitor her well-being closely and remained committed to ongoing self-care and professional support to prevent further STS symptoms. This case study highlights the challenges that social workers like Sarah may face when dealing with secondary traumatic stress and underscores the importance of early intervention, self-care, and a supportive work environment in addressing these issues. TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR PTSD AND STS IN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS There is an urgent and unmet need to develop novel approaches to support the mental health of healthcare professionals to continue to manage the emotionally traumatic nature of their clinical work (Holmes et al., 2020). Current clinical guidelines show we lack treatment approaches for people facing ongoing trauma exposure. Addressing the mental health challenges of healthcare professionals is important for them as individuals and is also important for the sustainability of the provision of healthcare services. Treating PTSD and STS among healthcare professionals involves a combination of individual-level interventions, orga- nizational support, and a multidisciplinary approach. Self-care techniques include several proactive behavioral interventions that will help assess how you are affected by traumatic experi- ences, provide specific interventions for coping with stress symptoms, and bolster your resistance to stressful encounters. Several examples of self-care strategies follow (Chan, 2023). Engage in Self-reflection . The first step in coping with second- ary traumatization is to take a moment to reflect on how you feel after exposure to a traumatic event. What do you think? How do you behave? Pay attention to your physical symptoms and to thoughts and feelings.
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