Secondary Traumatic Stress Levels of Professionals Providing Psychosocial Support Services After Disaster

Working with individuals who have experienced trauma increases the risk of secondary traumatic stress for professionals. This study aims to examine the levels of secondary traumatic stress experienced by professionals providing psychosocial support in the disaster area following the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on February 6, 2023 in relation to various variables. The study employed a quantitative correlational survey method. The sample consisted of 341 psychosocial support team professionals working in the disaster area who voluntarily participated in the study. The following factors were found to be protective against secondary traumatic stress: male gender; a high level of knowledge about post-disaster psychosocial support; education in post-disaster psychosocial support services beyond undergraduate level; previous experience in post-disaster psychosocial support; short periods of time spent in the psychosocial support team in the disaster area (8–14 days); accepting the role voluntarily; and an absence of personal trauma history. The study's results have identified variables that may be risk or protective factors for professionals providing post-earthquake psychosocial support. Notably, a high level of knowledge about post-disaster psychosocial support, relevant training, and experience in this field are important factors in supporting the mental health of professionals working in this area.