Secondary Traumatic Stress in Military Primary and Mental Health Care Providers

The purpose of this study was to explore rates of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a sample of 70 military primary and mental health care providers. The sample included working professionals within two military hospitals. Participants completed surveys containing a demographic questionnaire and the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale.(1) Results of data analysis found military participants in the sample to be experiencing relatively low rates of STS. Over half of the sample reported endorsing at least one symptom of STS occurring within the last week, whereas 8% of participants indicated moderate to high symptomatology. The most frequently reported symptoms were feeling emotionally numb and trouble sleeping followed by the intrusive thoughts about clients. The least frequently reported symptom was feeling jumpy. Implications of study findings and recommendations for future research are outlined.