Exploring the experiences of healthcare professionals who work with victims of sexual assault

Abstract

There has been a growing interest in exploring the impact of working directly with people who have experienced trauma on professionals, and research has demonstrated significant personal and economic costs of phenomena such as vicarious trauma (VT), secondary traumatic stress (STS), compassion fatigue, and burnout. Other research has explored the positive impact of working with victims of trauma, with concepts such as vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPTG) seeing increased investigation. Sexual violence is associated with a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims. Due to the high level of interpersonal trauma that healthcare professionals working in this area are exposed to, there is the potential for staff to be significantly impacted. First, a qualitative systematic review was conducted to identify pertinent literature in the area. A meta-aggregative approach was used to extract data from primary studies which met inclusion criteria, and to synthesise findings according to shared pattern of meaning. Synthesised findings across 5 papers included the difficulty balancing professional duties of the job with empathising with victims, vicarious trauma in workers, and the importance of peer support. Recommendations included the need for further support to workers in this area, as well as the urgent need for future research given a paucity of research pertaining to this professional group. Therefore, the second paper of this thesis aims to address gaps in knowledge and understanding by being the first to explore the positive and negative experiences of healthcare workers in a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) in Northern Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine members of staff and data was analysed qualitatively using reflective thematic analysis. Three themes were developed: 1. The psychological impact of the work; 2. Defences against the trauma of others; 3. Healthcare professionals derive positive meaning and reward from their work. Practical recommendations include reinforcing organisational support, promoting social connection and providing space for reflection and emotional processing to enhance wellbeing.

Date of Award	Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Lisa Graham-Wisener (Supervisor), Jenny Groarke (Supervisor) & Mary Lavelle (Supervisor)