During work, child protection workers (CPWs) may be exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), such as aggressive behaviors by service users (i.e., young people and their parents). Indeed, behaviors of psychological or physical violence are common in child protection workplaces and can have significant consequences on the health and well-being of workers. These consequences include physical injuries, psychological symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms) and, in more serious cases, clinical symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Exposure to aggression in these workplaces can also decrease job satisfaction, reduce the quality of the services offered and increase the intention to quit among staff.

Objective

Therefore, this study aims to identify modifiable work-related variables that might influence the probability of experiencing impaired mental health and professional adjustment following a PTE.

Results

The results obtained have shed light on the courses of action that could be taken to promote the preparation and adaptation of workers to work-related PTE. These results can also encourage child protection services to maximize the safety of their employees and help them deal with the consequences of PTEs in the workplace. From a preventive perspective, the results could also help identify workers who are more at risk of developing serious psychological symptoms following a PTE.

Authors : Stéphane Guay, Alexandre Lemyre , Steve Geoffrion (2022)

Full article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35251530/