EXAMINING SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS, JOB SATISFACTION, AND THE RISK OF ATTRITION IN RESIDENT ASSISTANTS
Date
2022-08
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Austin Peay State University
Abstract
This explanatory, sequential mixed methods study aimed to explore (a) the prevalence of
secondary traumatic stress (STS) in resident assistants (RAs) at a 4-year public university in the southeastern United States, (b) the personal and institutional supports and barriers that impact resident assistants’ responses to this STS, and (c) the roles STS plays in resident assistants’ job satisfaction and risk of attrition. Twenty-one resident assistants completed the Secondary Trauma in Resident Assistants survey. Surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics, hierarchical multiple regression, and logistic regression. Five resident assistants participated in follow-up semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that RAs reported moderate-to-severe levels of STS. Factors influencing levels of STS include semesters of experience, quantity and types of trauma incidents, and amount of training. Supports responding to STS include positive self-talk, social and familial supports, locus of control, campus counseling centers, campus involvement, strong supervision, and mental health campus programming. Barriers include negative self-talk, alcohol use, lack of social and familial support, limited training, the RA role, lack of strong supervision, and limited availability of campus counselors within the research setting. Implications for practice include (a) expanded training to address responding to mental health crises as well as coping mechanisms for dealing with STS, (b) training supervisors in best practices of trauma-informed supervision, (c) expansion of counseling center support for residence life programs, and (d) developing protocols for early detection of burnout and STS in RAs as well as interventions to prevent further burnout. Implications for future research include (a) addressing the lack of evidence surrounding resident assistants’ mental health, (b) replicating the study in multiple settings with an expanded population of diverse genders, ages, and ethnicities, and (c) addressing the effects of campus educational programming on STS in RAs.
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Keywords
Resident assistants (Dormitories), Secondary traumatic stress, Job satisfaction