Effects of Sexual Assault History on the Relationship Between Secondary
Traumatic Stress, Job Burnout Self-Efficacy, and Burnout for Military
Mental Health Providers
1
B. A.
1
B.S. ,
1
Ph.D. ,
1
Ph.D. ,
Gina Boesdorfer,
Crystal Nichols,
Kotaro Shoji,
Frederick Gibson,
and Charles C. Benight,
1Trauma, Health & Hazards Center, 2Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Introduction
1,2
Ph.D
Results
Although all mental health providers
are at risk for experiencing the
effects of secondary traumatic stress
(STS) and job burnout (JB), those
with a sexual assault (SA) history
may be even more sensitive to this
stress and more likely to develop JB
(Maier, 2011). Job burnout selfefficacy (JBSE) may serve as a
mediating mechanism between STS
and JB because a belief in your
ability to manage stressors often
changes how challenges and goals
are approached and dealt with
(Alarcon, 2011; Bandura, 1978; Lee,
2011). These variables were
examined in military mental health
providers with and without a SA
history. It was predicted that (a) STS
would predict lower levels of JBSE,
(b) higher levels of JBSE would
predict lower levels of JB, and (c)
SA status would moderate whether
JBSE mediates the relationship
between STS and JB.
Methods
A moderated-mediation analysis showed
the indirect effect of JBSE in the
relationship between STS and JB was
dependent on SA. The indirect effect was
significant when participants did not have
Figure 1. The indirect effect of job burnout self-efficacy in SA experience (B = 0.09, Bootstrap 95%
the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and job CI = 0.02 – 0.20). However, there was no
burnout with sexual assault history as a moderator.
such indirect effect when participants had
SA history (B = 0.00, Bootstrap 95% CI =
For those with a sexual assault history
-0.03 – 0.08). Individuals with a SA
history had higher levels of STS than
those without a SA history, t(75) = 2.20,
JBSE
p = 0.03. There was not a significant
difference between those with a SA
history and those without a SA history for
JB, t(75) = 0.06, p = 0.95, or JBSE,
t(75)
=
-0.11,
p
=
0.92.
-0.42
0.10
Table 1
Correlations Among Study
Variables
JB
STS
0.71**
For those without a sexual assault history
This project examined military
mental health providers, both civilian
and active duty. All on-post Army
mental health/behavioral health
providers and select western region
Tricare providers were sent an email
describing the focus of the study and
the study link. Participants’ ages
ranged from 29 to 80 years old.
Participants were 65% female and
50% had a doctoral degree. Out of 77
participants, 37 had a previous
history of sexual assault. SA was
defined as rape or attempted rape,
unwanted sexual experience.
Secondary Job Burnout
Traumatic
Stress
JBSE
Job
Burnout
.02
1
Job
Burnout
SelfEfficacy
-.35**
-0.35**
Note. * p < .05; ** p < .01.
-0.55*
Discussion
-0.18
STS
JB
0.68**
Note: * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01. The coefficients between JBSE
Resilienc
and JB was marginally significant, p = .06.
y
The results suggest that JBSE serves as a
self-regulatory role by which STS relates
to JB in providers without a SA history.
For those with a SA history, the distress
caused by the trauma may override the
buffering effect that JBSE has on the
relationship between STS and JB. These
providers may have unique challenges
and self-regulatory processes related to
STS and JB that should be explored
further.
-.
This research was made possible by a research
grant that was awarded and
-. administered by the U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (USAMRMC)
and the Telemedicine & Advanced
(TATRC) at Fort Detrick, MD under Contract Number W81XWH-11-2-0153.
610*Technology Research Center592*
The views expressed in this poster are solely those of the authors and do not represent an endorsement by or the official policy of the U.S. Army, the Department of
*
Defense,*or the U.S. government.