CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 16Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchMigration, Health and TraumaStress and Burnout Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Refugee trauma work: Effects on intimate relationships and vicarious posttraumatic growth

Open access
Rizkalla, Niveen, Segal, Steven P.·2020·Journal of Affective Disorders
DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.054
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Background Bearing witness to Syrian refugee atrocities may result in aid-workers' vicarious traumatization (VT). This study examined work stressors and organizational support and their associations with vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) and intimate relationships. It also examined the potential mediating effects of differentiation of the self and finding meaning in trauma-work. Methods Aid-workers (N = 317) from organizations in Jordan were surveyed. Univariate statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) were utilized to test hypothesized relationships. Results Increased VT was associated with increased VPTG, decreased intimacy and decreased differentiation. Increased needs addressed by NGOs was associated with increased VPTG, differentiation, and finding meaning. Increased trauma-exposure was associated with increased finding meaning. Increased co-workers support was associated with increased intimacy and finding meaning. Higher differentiation was associated with decreased VPTG, and increased intimacy. Whereas, increased finding meaning was associated with increased VPTG and intimacy. Differentiation partially mediated the associations between VT, and both VPTG and intimacy, and between needs at work and VPTG. Differentiation fully mediated the association between needs at work and intimacy. Finding meaning fully mediated the associations between extent of trauma-exposure, and both VPTG and intimacy, and between co-workers support and VPTG; needs at work and intimacy. It partially mediated the associations between needs at work and VPTG; co-workers support and intimacy. Limitations The study is cross-sectional and generalization is limited to aid-workers who provide services to Syrian refugees in Jordan. Conclusions Organizational support is crucial in mitigating the negative impacts of trauma-work, and in enabling a nurturing space for potential growth.

Overview

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.054

Cites

1 of 1 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Verification

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 54

  1. Achilli, 2015, Syrian refugees in Jordan: a reality check, Migr. Policy Cent. Eur. Univ. Inst., 2, 1
  2. Al-Qdah, 2017, Syrian refugees in Jordan: Social workers use a Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) methodology for needs assessment, human rights and community development, Int. Soc. Work, 60, 614, 10.1177/0020872816673889 · DOI
  3. Al-Shagran, 2015, Post-Traumatic stress disorder of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Int. J. Lib. Arts Soc. Sci., 3, 36
  4. Arnold, 2005, Vicarious posttraumatic growth in psychotherapy, J. Humanist. Psychol., 45, 239, 10.1177/0022167805274729 · DOI · Paper page
  5. Barrington, 2013, Working with refugee survivors of torture and trauma: an opportunity for vicarious post-traumatic growth, Couns. Psychol. Q., 26, 89, 10.1080/09515070.2012.727553 · DOI
  6. Bober, 2006, Strategies for reducing secondary or vicarious trauma: do they work?, Br. Treat. Cris. Interv., 6, 1, 10.1093/brief-treatment/mhj001 · DOI
  7. Brockhouse, 2011, Vicarious exposure to trauma and growth in therapists: the moderating effects of sense of coherence, organizational support, and empathy, J. Trauma Stress, 24, 735, 10.1002/jts.20704 · DOI · Paper page
  8. Brooks, 2015, Risk and resilience factors affecting the psychological wellbeing of individuals deployed in humanitarian relief roles after a disaster, J. Ment. Health, 10.3109/09638237.2015.1057334 · DOI
  9. Clemans, 2004, Life changing: the experience of rape-crisis work, Affil. J. Women Soc. Work, 19, 146, 10.1177/0886109903262758 · DOI
  10. Cohen, 2013, The impact of trauma work on trauma workers: a metasynthesis on vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth, Psychol. Trauma Theory Res. Pract. Policy, 5, 570, 10.1037/a0030388 · DOI · Paper page
  11. Collins, 2001, A comparison of inclusive and restrictive strategies in modern missing data procedures, Psychol. Methods, 6, 330, 10.1037/1082-989X.6.4.330 · DOI · Paper page
  12. Dunkley, 2006, Vicarious traumatisation in telephone counsellors: internal and external influences, Br. J. Guid. Couns., 34, 451, 10.1080/03069880600942574 · DOI
  13. Finklestein, 2015, Posttraumatic stress disorder and vicarious trauma in mental health professionals, Health Soc. Work, 40, e25, 10.1093/hsw/hlv026 · DOI
  14. Fond, 2018, Psychiatry: a discipline at specific risk of mental health issues and addictive behavior? Results from the national BOURBON study, J. Affect. Disord, 238, 534, 10.1016/j.jad.2018.05.074 · DOI
  15. Halevi, 2018, Who helps the helper? Differentiation of self as an indicator for resisting vicarious traumatization, Psychol. Trauma Theory Res. Pract. Policy, 10, 698, 10.1037/tra0000318 · DOI
  16. Harrison, 2009, Preventing vicarious traumatization of mental health therapists: identifying protective practices, Psychotherapy, 46, 203, 10.1037/a0016081 · DOI
  17. Hunter, 2006, How counsellors cope with traumatized clients: personal, professional and organizational strategies, Int. J. Adv. Couns., 28, 121, 10.1007/s10447-005-9003-0 · DOI
  18. Iliffe, 2000, Exploring the counselor's experience of working with perpetrators and survivors of domestic violence, J. Interpers. Violence, 15, 393, 10.1177/088626000015004004 · DOI
  19. Jachens, 2016, Effort–reward imbalance and heavy alcohol consumption among humanitarian aid workers, J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 77, 904, 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.904 · DOI
  20. Kira, 2013, The dynamics of posttraumatic growth across different trauma types in a palestinian sample, J. Loss Trauma, 18, 120, 10.1080/15325024.2012.679129 · DOI
  21. Krycak, 2012, Differentiation of self, stress, and emotional support as predictors of psychological distress, Contemp. Fam. Ther., 34, 495, 10.1007/s10591-012-9207-5 · DOI
  22. Linley, 2011, Meaning in life and posttraumatic growth, J. Loss Trauma, 16, 150, 10.1080/15325024.2010.519287 · DOI
  23. Lahav, 2019, Sexual satisfaction in spouses of ex-POWs: the role of PTSD symptoms and self-differentiation, J. Sex Marital Ther., 45, 755, 10.1080/0092623X.2019.1594478 · DOI
  24. Linley, 2007, Therapy work and therapists’ positive and negative well-being, J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 26, 385, 10.1521/jscp.2007.26.3.385 · DOI · Paper page
  25. McCann, 1990, Vicarious traumatization: a framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims, J. Trauma Stress, 3, 131, 10.1007/BF00975140 · DOI · Paper page
  26. McCormack, 2013, Psychological growth in humanitarian aid personnel: reintegrating with family and community following exposure to war and genocide, Commun. Work Fam, 16, 147, 10.1080/13668803.2012.735478 · DOI
  27. Michalopoulos, 2012, Vicarious trauma in social workers: the role of trauma history, social support, and years of experience, J. Aggress. Maltreatment Trauma, 21, 646, 10.1080/10926771.2012.689422 · DOI
  28. Pack, 2010, Transformation in progress: the effects of trauma on the significant others of sexual abuse therapists, Qual. Soc. Work, 9, 249, 10.1177/1473325009361008 · DOI
  29. Peleg, 2011, Differentiation of self and separation anxiety: is there a similarity between spouses?, Contemp. Fam. Ther., 33, 25, 10.1007/s10591-010-9137-z · DOI
  30. Peleg, 2014, Social anxiety and differentiation of self: a comparison of Jewish and Arab college students, Pers. Individ. Dif., 68, 221, 10.1016/j.paid.2014.04.032 · DOI
  31. Pistorius, 2008, Working with sexually abused children, Am. J. Fam. Ther., 36, 181, 10.1080/01926180701291204 · DOI
  32. Posselt, 2019, Clinician wellbeing: the impact of supporting refugee and asylum seeker survivors of torture and trauma in the Australian context, Aust. Psychol., 1
  33. Preacher, 2008, Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models, Behav. Res. Methods., 40, 879, 10.3758/BRM.40.3.879 · DOI · Paper page
  34. Rizkalla, 2020, Women in refuge: Syrian women voicing health sequelae due to war traumatic experiences and displacement challenges, J. Psychosom. Res., 129
  35. Rizkalla, 2016, Differentiation of the self, couples’ intimacy and marital satisfaction: a similar model for Palestinian and Jewish married couples in Israel, Int. J. Jurisprud. Fam., 7, 1
  36. Rizkalla, 2019, Trauma during humanitarian work: the effects on intimacy, wellbeing and PTSD-symptoms, Eur. J. Psychotraumatol., 10
  37. Rizkalla, 2018, Well-being and posttraumatic growth among Syrian refugees in Jordan, J. Trauma. Stress, 31, 213, 10.1002/jts.22281 · DOI
  38. Rizkalla, 2019, War can harm intimacy: consequences for refugees who escaped Syria, J. Glob. Health, 9, 1, 10.7189/jogh.09.020407 · DOI
  39. Rizkalla, 2017, Rape crisis counseling: trauma contagion and supervision, J. Interpers. Violence
  40. Roberts, 2018, Factors that inhibit and facilitate wellbeing and effectiveness in counsellors working with refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, J. Pac. Rim Psychol., 12
  41. Sabin-Farrell, 2003, Vicarious traumatization: implications for the mental health of health workers?, Clin. Psychol. Rev, 23, 449, 10.1016/S0272-7358(03)00030-8 · DOI
  42. Schaefer, 1981, Assessing intimacy: the PAIR Inventory, J. Marital Fam. Ther., 7, 47, 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1981.tb01351.x · DOI
  43. Schafer, 2002, Missing data: our view of the state of the art, Psychol. Methods, 7, 147, 10.1037/1082-989X.7.2.147 · DOI · Paper page
  44. Shakespeare-Finch, 2014, A meta-analytic clarification of the relationship between posttraumatic growth and symptoms of posttraumatic distress disorder, J. Anxiety Disord, 10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.10.005 · DOI · Paper page
  45. Skowron, 1998, The Differentiation of Self Inventory: development and Initial Validation, J. Couns. Psychol., 45, 235, 10.1037/0022-0167.45.3.235 · DOI
  46. Skowron, 2003, Assessing interpersonal fusion: reliability and validity of a new DSI fusion with other subscales, J. Marital Fam. Ther., 29, 209, 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2003.tb01201.x · DOI
  47. Skowron, 2004, Differentiation of self mediates college stress and adjustment, J. Couns. Dev., 82, 69, 10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00287.x · DOI
  48. Sleijpen, 2016, Growing from experience: an exploratory study of posttraumatic growth in adolescent refugees, Eur. J. Psychotraumatol., 7, 1
  49. Splevins, 2010, Vicarious posttraumatic growth among interpreters, Qual. Health Res., 20, 1705, 10.1177/1049732310377457 · DOI
  50. Solomon, 2007, Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among ISraeli EX-POWs, J. Trauma Stress, 20, 303, 10.1002/jts.20216 · DOI
  51. Taylor, 2018, We're all wounded healers’: a qualitative study to explore the well-being and needs of helpline workers supporting survivors of domestic violence and abuse, Health Soc. Care Commun., 27, 856, 10.1111/hsc.12699 · DOI
  52. VanDeusen, 2006, Vicarious trauma: an exploratory study of the impact of providing sexual abuse treatment on clinicians’ trust and intimacy, J. Child Sex. Abus., 15, 69, 10.1300/J070v15n01_04 · DOI
  53. Veronese, 2017, Posttraumatic growth is related to subjective well-being of aid workers exposed to cumulative trauma in Palestine, Transcult. Psychiatry, 54, 332, 10.1177/1363461517706288 · DOI
  54. Wang, 2011, Sustaining engagement through work in postdisaster relief and reconstruction, Qual. Health Res., 21, 465, 10.1177/1049732310386049 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Metadata

Authors
Rizkalla, N., & Segal, S. P.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
Corresponding author
Rizkalla, Niveen
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-11
Volume
276
Pages
839-847
ISSN
0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.054
OpenAlex
W3042425444
Cited by
16
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
FWCI
0.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
University of California Berkeley
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
Keywords
vicarious trauma, vicarious posttraumatic growth, Syrian refugees, humanitarian workers, humanitarian aid, trauma exposure, intimate relationships, organizational support, coworker support, occupational stressors, mediation
MeSH terms
Compassion Fatigue, Posttraumatic Growth, Psychological, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Refugees

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review