VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller e.K. Secondary Traumatic Stress: Treatment and Management

The need for the study arose out of the lack of scientific validated data regarding the treatment of Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder (STSD)/compassion fatigue among emergency rescue workers as well as the need for a cost effective treatment plan that would address the serious need for emergency rescue workers in South Africa. The effects of STSD are often as debilitating as that of PTSD. It hampers the sufferer unable to operate as well as they previously did. As a result they may present with lower productivity at work as well as psycho-social problems. This research focuses on the development of a short term action centred clinical personological treatment programme for adult emergency rescue workers who developed STSD/ compassion fatigue and co-morbid symptoms of burnout as a result of exposure to critical incidents. The action centred personological treatment programme proved to be effective in the treatment of symptoms of STSD/compassion fatigue and burnout without significantly reducing the candidates' potential for compassion satisfaction. This study would be of interest to professionals in the fields of psychiatry , psychology and emergency rescue work.