The Relationship Between Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Health Professionals

Limited and inconsistent research exists regarding the relationship between vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG), which is positive psychological growth experienced as a result of vicarious traumatic exposure, and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS). The current study aimed to investigate whether a curvilinear model explained the VPTG-STS relationship among a sample of 365 nurses, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and medical doctors. Results supported this hypothesis, however this result appeared to largely be governed by the curvilinear relationship found among psychologists; STS was not found to predict VPTG among any other profession. Implications of results are discussed.     

Mel Gibson’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">The Passion of the Christ</Emphasis> Seen Through Jewish Eyes

Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ has stirred up long simmering tensions between Christian, and Jews. This article, by someone of the Jewish faith who has for many years worked at a Presbyterian seminary, discusses Gibsons morbid—almost pornographic—fascination with violence, Gibsons theology of sin and atonement, and the dangers of Gibsons disparaging and inflammatory portrayal of Jews through the use of despicable stereotypes. Gibsons violence drenched Christianity is contrasted with a more tolerant Christianity rooted in love and justice.     

Internalization of the model minority myth and sociodemographic factors shaping Asians/Asian Americans' experiences of discrimination during COVID-19

Despite appearing positive, the model minority myth (MMM), or the perception that Asian Americans are “problem-free” minorities, maintains unfair racial hierarchies and discredits the pervasiveness of systemic racism faced by Asian Americans and other Black, Indigenous, and people of Color. This study investigated the role of internalized MMM in Asian/Asian Americans' (A/AA) experiences during the syndemic of COVID-19 and our society's racial reckoning. Using a mixed methods approach, we analyzed A/AA college students' open-ended responses to a query about their experiences as A/AA during COVID-19, which resulted in qualitative themes of Personal and Vicarious Discrimination, Vigilance, Safety due to Ethnicity, Safety due to Environment, and No Difference during COVID-19. We then conducted a series of logistic and linear regression models to examine how internalized MMM and sociodemographic factors (i.e., ethnic group, gender, and generational status) were associated with qualitative themes and quantitative measures of COVID-related discrimination. Overall, findings demonstrated that greater internalized MMM, as well as identifying as South Asian, male, and an international/first-generation immigrant student, were linked to fewer qualitative and quantitative reports of vicarious discrimination. We conclude with implications for research and practice in community psychology that further examine the racialized experiences among A/AA college students and ultimately seek to challenge the MMM and racial hierarchies perpetuating systems of oppression.     

The Reconstruction of Criterion A in DSM-5: Is it a True Incorporation of Secondary Traumatization into the PTSD Diagnosis?

In DSM-5, the event criterion (criterion A) for PTSD includes indirect exposure as a potential source of PTSD. In light of the revised criterion A, it is now important to reevaluate the concept of “secondary traumatization” vis-á-vis the PTSD diagnosis. I argue that, while including indirect exposure in DSM-5 was an important step forward, there is still a considerable gap between what DSM views as indirect trauma exposure and what research has taught us about the underlying mechanisms of secondary traumatization. Thus, while DSM-5 certainly moved in the right direction, researchers are encouraged to explore new avenues of research in order to bridge the gap between the existing empirical and theoretical knowledge about secondary traumatization and the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.     

Learning to Heal from Those Who Know! The “Lived” Experience of a Peer Support Program for Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma

This study explored the dual phenomenon of experiencing a peer support residential trauma program from the perspective of (a) a client, and (b) a facilitator. It sought both positive and negative subjective interpretations. Participants were former clients and current facilitators of the program. Data were collected through a focus group, and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. One superordinate theme, altruistic growth, overarched 2 subordinate themes. The first, modeling through respect, included subthemes of respect and hope and empowerment. The second subordinate theme, reciprocal model of care, encapsulated personal challenges such as facing the mirror, old demons, and burnout and breaking points. Conversely, participants mused on these challenges as opportunities for further healing through opportunities for self-nurturing and gratitude. Implications for treatment of adult survivors of childhood trauma are discussed. For facilitators, the program was seen as offering further personal reflection and a giving forward that was interpreted as altruistic growth.     

The Experience of Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth in Mental Health Workers

In order to add to the body of research that examines the phenomenon of vicarious posttraumatic growth, this study sought to illuminate the lived experiences of mental health professionals who work on a day-to-day basis with multiply traumatized children and adolescents and, as a result, experience measurably high levels of vicarious trauma and compassion satisfaction. The findings from this qualitative study support positive vicarious experiences derived from trauma work and expose the pathologically focused nature of the profession.     

Improving outgroup attitudes in schools: First steps toward a teacher‐led vicarious contact intervention

Despite the urgent need for promoting positive intergroup relations in schools, research on intergroup relations is not systematically translated into prejudice‐reduction interventions. Although prejudice‐reduction interventions in schools based on indirect contact have been conducted for decades, they have all been carried out by researchers themselves. In a field experiment in Finland in autumn 2015, we tested for the first time a vicarious contact prejudice‐reduction intervention for its effectiveness among adolescents (N = 639) when implemented independently by school teachers instead of researchers. In addition, we tested the extent to which the intervention's effect depends on initial outgroup attitudes, previous direct outgroup contact experiences, and gender, hypothesizing that the intervention improves outgroup attitudes particularly among adolescents with more negative prior attitudes and less positive prior direct contact, and more among girls than among boys. We found an unanticipated overall deterioration in the outgroup attitudes during intervention in both the experimental and control groups. However, attitudes seemed to deteriorate somewhat less in the experimental than in the control group, and the intervention had a significant positive effect on outgroup attitudes in one experimental subgroup that needed it most: girls who had negative rather than positive outgroup attitudes at the outset. We discuss our results in light of previous research and contextual particularities.     

社会责任感调节群际替代性排斥中旁观者第三方惩罚

为了考察群体身份对替代性排斥中旁观者惩罚行为的影响,并考察旁观者社会责任感的调节作用,采用数量估计任务对58名不同社会责任感大学生创设群体身份,观看网络掷球游戏形成群际替代性排斥,随后评估游戏中各玩家的愤怒情绪,并采用第三方惩罚来表达对各玩家表现的愤怒。结果发现高社会责任旁观者对替代性排斥体验到更强愤怒情绪,并对排斥者施加更高惩罚;高社会责任感个体对排斥组内成员的组外排斥者惩罚强度高于组内排斥者,而低社会责任感个体对排斥组外成员的组外排斥者惩罚强度显著高于组内排斥者。结果表明旁观者社会责任感调节其在群际替代性排斥中的第三方惩罚。     

Emotional stressors among volunteers operating a diaconal suicide-prevention crisis line in Norway: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Despite the worldwide proliferation of suicide-prevention crisis-line networks, there is limited in-depth knowledge of how the volunteer call responders experience and manage emotional stressors. The study’s purpose was to explore emotional stressors related to operating a diaconal suicide-prevention crisis line, and how these are managed in daily operations. In this qualitative study, 27 volunteers were interviewed in four focus groups. The material was analysed using systematic text condensation. The participants experienced emotional stressors related to being unable to actively intervene, encountering traumatised callers and feeling uncertain about representing the Church. They used a combination of personal coping strategies and organisational support factors. Implications for training and practice are further discussed.