Radiating impacts: understanding secondary traumatic stress among frontline healthcare workers in the opioid crisis

BackgroundNonmedical opioid misuse has reached epidemic proportions. In this study, we sought to understand the challenges that healthcare providers experience in providing care to pregnant and postpartum women reporting nonmedical opioid use.MethodsTwo methodological tools were used to understand better the experiences of frontline workers working with OUD patients in Indiana, including the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale and a qualitative feedback form about what they wish their colleagues understood about their jobs and what resources they need to do their jobs.ResultsIn total, twenty-three individuals participated in the survey research. Quantitative results indicate that 37.53% of the surveyed frontline healthcare workers experience vicarious trauma. Qualitative results suggest that a source of Secondary Traumatic Stress is a lack of preparedness to treat illness amidst an unequal distribution of societal resources.ConclusionThough these results are drawn from a small sample of healthcare workers, they are aligned with documented secondary traumatic stress rates among other healthcare professionals. Using these data, healthcare organizations, non-governmental organization leaders, policymakers, and members of advocacy and activist boards can identify mechanisms for improving the quality of work and care in OUD intervention and prevention efforts.