The Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale as a Measure of Vicarious Trauma in a National Sample of Clinical Social Workers

2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Betts Adams ◽  
Holly C. Matto ◽  
Donna Harrington
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Vicarious Trauma ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Clinical Social Workers ◽  
Belief Scale

This article reports on a study of convergent and discriminant validity of the Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale (TSI)–Revision L (Traumatic Stress Institute, 1994) as a measure of vicarious trauma in a random sample of master's level clinical social workers. Forty-nine items from six subscales of the TSI were used. The scale purports to measure disturbed beliefs that may be caused by direct traumatic experience or repeated exposure to details of clients' traumatic stories. Results of correlational analyses of the TSI score with study variables and exploratory multiple regression analysis on the TSI score indicate its association with younger age, more reported somatic symptoms, lower annual salaries, lower scores on the Perceived Social Support (PSS)–Friends subscale (Procidano & Heller, 1983) and greater burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986). TSI scores were not associated with social workers' personal trauma history, their reported weekly amount of face-to-face client contact, or a self-report of the level of intrusiveness of client material into the social workers' lives. TSI scores appear to be measuring perceptions about self and work that, like burnout, may relate to social workers' general outlook, not necessarily to the effects of traumatic stress, vicarious or otherwise. Significant overlap of the TSI with burnout scores in this social work sample suggests a lack of clear distinction between burnout and vicarious trauma.

Personalised yoga for burnout and traumatic stress in junior doctors

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (1136) ◽  
pp. 349-357
Author(s):  
Jennifer Taylor ◽  
Loyola McLean ◽  
Bethan Richards ◽  
Nicholas Glozier
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Group Format ◽  
Group Fitness ◽  
Quality Of Life Scale ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
One To One

ObjectivesJunior doctors are frequently exposed to occupational and traumatic stress, sometimes with tragic consequences. Mindfulness-based and fitness interventions are increasingly used to mitigate this, but have not been compared.We conducted a randomised, controlled pilot trial to assess the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of these interventions in junior doctors.MethodsWe randomised participants (n=21) to weekly 1-hour sessions of personalised, trauma-informed yoga (n=10), with a 4-hour workshop, and eHealth homework; or group-format fitness (n=8) in an existing wellness programme, MDOK. Burnout, traumatic stress and suicidality were measured at baseline and 8 weeks.ResultsBoth interventions reduced burnout, and yoga increased compassion satisfaction within group on the Professional Quality of Life scale, without difference between groups on this measure.Personalised yoga significantly reduced depersonalisation (z=−1.99, p=0.05) compared with group fitness on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS (MP)) and showed greater flexibility changes. Both interventions increased MBI Personal Accomplishment, with no changes in other self-report psychological or physiological metrics, including breath-counting.Participants doing one-to-one yoga rated it more highly overall (p=0.02) than group fitness, and reported it comparatively more beneficial for mental (p=0.01) and physical health (p=0.05). Face-to-face weekly sessions were 100% attended in yoga, but only 45% in fitness.ConclusionIn this pilot trial, both yoga and fitness improved burnout, but trauma-informed yoga reduced depersonalisation in junior doctors more than group-format fitness. One-to-one yoga was better adhered than fitness, but was more resource intensive. Junior doctors need larger-scale comparative research of the effectiveness and implementation of individual, organisational and systemic mental health interventions.Trial registration numberANZCTR 12618001467224.

Psychometric Properties of the Belief Scale

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Boelen ◽  
Louisette P.Y. Baars
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Irrational Beliefs ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Belief Scale ◽  
Adequate Internal Consistency ◽  
Report Measure

Abstract. This study examined psychometric properties of the Belief Scale - a 20-item self-report measure of irrational beliefs as conceptualized in rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Data were available from 293 inpatients. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the items of the Belief Scale formed eight distinct irrational belief components which were related to one higher order factor. The Belief Scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and concurrent validity. In support of the discriminant validity, items of the Belief Scale and indices of psychopathology clustered into two distinct factors in exploratory factor analysis. In support of the construct validity, scores on the Belief Scale decreased more in patients who underwent training in REBT during their inpatient treatment than in those who did not.

Reducing burnout, vicarious trauma, and secondary traumatic stress through investigating purpose in life in social workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 620-638
Author(s):  
Jonathan Singer ◽  
Caroline Cummings ◽  
Sarah A Moody ◽  
Lorraine T Benuto
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Secondary Traumatic Stress ◽  
Vicarious Trauma ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Hours Worked

Summary Social workers fulfill vital roles, servicing clients from vulnerable populations and maintaining their welfare. As a result of frequent interaction with clients who have often experienced trauma, these workers are susceptible to experiencing burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma. This study aimed to identify if purpose in life is a protective factor for adult/elder protective services (AEPS) and child protective services (CPS) workers. A comprehensive search of AEPS and CPS agencies resulted in more than 500 agencies throughout the United States. Three multiple regressions were run, with purpose in life as the independent variable, controlling for social workers’ years of experience, ethnicity, average of number of hours worked per week. Findings A sample of 292 participants ranging in age from 18 to 58 years of age, with a mean age of 42.03(12.34), participated in this study. Of the 292 social workers, 126 reported being CPS workers and 166 reported being AEPS workers. In all three linear regressions, higher purpose in life resulted in lower rates of vicarious trauma ( F(3, 263)=10.364, p<.001), secondary traumatic stress ( F(3, 263)=16.548, p<.001), and burnout ( F(3, 263)= 23.912, p<.001) when controlling for number of hours worked per week and years of experience. The amount of variance explained by these models ranged from 11 to 21%. Post hoc correlations between study variables were conducted, including the association between purpose in life and CS. Applications This study provides evidence necessary to warrant an intervention for protective services workers, specifically targeted toward increasing purpose in life.

Prescription Privileges: Attitudes of Clinical Social Workers

2001 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 606-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Piotrowski ◽  
Richard Doelker
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Clinical Social Workers ◽  
Prescription Privileges ◽  
Initial Survey

From an initial survey on prescription privileges of a national sample of social workers, of the 176 respondents, 52% were opposed and 19% were in favor of prescription privileges.

Secondary traumatic stress and licensed clinical social workers.

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Caringi ◽  
Eric R. Hardiman ◽  
Patricia Weldon ◽  
Samantha Fletcher ◽  
Mary Devlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Secondary Traumatic Stress ◽  
Clinical Social Workers

An Initial Investigation of the Use of Comparative Referents to Assess Social Anxiety

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 367-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura D. Seligman ◽  
Erin F. Swedish ◽  
Jason P. Rose ◽  
Jessica M. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Injunctive Norms ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Excellent Internal Consistency ◽  
Social Quality Of Life ◽  
Comparison Measures

Abstract. The current study examined the validity of two self-report measures of social anxiety constructed using social comparative referent points. It was hypothesized that these comparison measures would be both reliable and valid. Results indicated that two different comparative versions – one invoking injunctive norms and another invoking descriptive norms – showed good reliability, excellent internal consistency, and acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The comparative measures also predicted positive functioning, some aspects of social quality of life, and social anxiety as measured by an independent self-report. These findings suggest that adding a comparative reference point to instructions on social anxiety measures may aid in the assessment of social anxiety.

A Confirmatory Factor Analytic Study of Anxiety, Fear, and Behavioral Inhibition System Measures

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 179-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Cooper ◽  
Adam M. Perkins ◽  
Philip J. Corr
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition System ◽  
Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory ◽  
Factor Analytic ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Structural Invariance ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Abstract. Recent revisions to the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) of personality have highlighted the distinction between the emotions of fear and anxiety. These revisions have substantial implications for self-report measurement; in particular, they raise the question of whether separate traits of fear and anxiety exist and, if so, their interrelationship. To address this question, the current study used confirmatory factor analytic procedures to examine the convergent and discriminant validity of measures of trait anxiety, fear, and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS). We also examined measurement and structural invariance across gender in 167 males and 173 females who completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Carver and White BIS Scale, and the Fear Survey Schedule (FSS). The findings suggested that trait anxiety and the BIS scale are relatively distinct from Tissue Damage Fear (FSS). Further, the final model showed measurement and structural invariance across gender. The implications of the results for future self-report assessment in RST research are discussed.

An evaluation of DSM-5 Section III Personality Disorder Criterion A (Impairment) in accounting for psychopathology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Sleep ◽  
Donald Lynam ◽  
Thomas A. Widiger ◽  
Michael L Crowe ◽  
Josh Miller
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Incremental Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Statistical Prediction ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Criterion A ◽  
Personality Dysfunction ◽  
Axis I

An alternative diagnostic model of personality disorders (AMPD) was introduced in DSM-5 that diagnoses PDs based on the presence of personality impairment (Criterion A) and pathological personality traits (Criterion B). Research examining Criterion A has been limited to date, due to the lack of a specific measure to assess it; this changed, however, with the recent publication of a self-report assessment of personality dysfunction as defined by Criterion A (Levels of Personality Functioning Scale – Self-report; LPFS-SR; Morey, 2017). The aim of the current study was to test several key propositions regarding the role of Criterion A in the AMPD including the underlying factor structure of the LPFS-SR, the discriminant validity of the hypothesized factors, whether Criterion A distinguishes personality psychopathology from Axis I symptoms, the overlap between Criterion A and B, and the incremental predictive utility of Criterion A and B in the statistical prediction of traditional PD symptom counts. Neither a single factor model nor an a priori four-factor model of dysfunction fit the data well. The LPFS-SR dimensions were highly interrelated and manifested little evidence of discriminant validity. In addition, the impairment dimensions manifested robust correlations with measures of both Axis I and II constructs, challenging the notion that personality dysfunction is unique to PDs. Finally, multivariate regression analyses suggested that the traits account for substantially more unique variance in DSM-5 Section II PDs than does personality impairment. These results provide important information as to the functioning of the two main components of the DSM-5 AMPD and raise questions about whether the model may need revision moving forward.Keywords: dysfunction, impairment, personality disorders, Section III, incremental validity Public Significance: The alternative model of personality disorders included in Section III of the 5th addition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes two primary components: personality dysfunction and maladaptive traits. The current results raise questions about how a new, DSM-5 aligned measure of personality dysfunction operates with regard its factor structure, discriminant validity, ability to differentiate between personality and non-personality based forms of psychopathology, and incremental validity in the statistical prediction of traditional DSM personality disorders.

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