In the trauma-informed care trenches: Teacher compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and intent to leave education within underserved elementary schools

Background: School-based trauma-informed care (TIC) represents a novel way of supporting children with trauma histories. However, minimal research has focused on how TIC impacts teacher wellbeing, which is concerning given the relationship between occupational stress and turnover from education. Objective: This study investigated teacher characteristics associated with perceived effectiveness of TIC and intent to leave education. Participants and setting: The study included 163 teachers in underserved elementary schools serving a high percentage of low-income, English-language learner Latinx students. Methods: Teachers completed a survey regarding an ongoing TIC program and quality of life for helping professionals. Results: Higher compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress (STS), as well as lower burnout, were associated with perceived effectiveness of TIC. Older teachers, and those with lower compassion satisfaction and higher burnout, were more likely to report intentions to leave education. STS and perceived effectiveness of TIC were not associated with turnover intent. Conclusions: Results suggest that teacher occupational wellbeing, particularly compassion satisfaction, plays a role in buy-in to TIC and retention among teachers.