Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies (CIEG) of the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ISCSP-UL), 1300-663, Lisboa, Portugal.
BMC Psychol. 2022 May 3;10(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-00825-5.
Being a victim support worker (VSW) involves exposure to victims' suffering, pain, and traumatic events, which may trigger the risk of VSWs developing mental health problems. Psychosocial risks (PSR) and work-related stress are considered the most challenging issues in occupational safety and health, considering they impact individuals, organizations, and economies.
The purpose of the present study was to identify the PSR in a sample of 196 Portuguese victim support workers (VSW) (Mean age = 36.49; SD = 10.52). A questionnaire with socio-demographic characteristics, variables related to VSW's job, and the Portuguese medium version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II (COPSOQ II) were used to assess these professionals' perception of PSR factors.
The results reveal that although VSW recognizes some psychosocial factors favourable to their health and well-being, they also identify some PSR that place them at intermediate and severe risk, i.e., emotional and cognitive demands, which are the main areas of risk to the VSW. VSW over 38 years old scored higher in job insecurity, burnout, and offensive behaviours.
These findings give important insights into the areas that must be enhanced in this context involving VSW. Additionally, the results highlight the relevance of encouraging a healthy and supportive work environment, preventing and promoting the health and well-being of VSW, particularly when considering the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
作为一名受害者支持工作者（VSW），需要接触受害者的苦难、痛苦和创伤事件，这可能会引发 VSW 出现心理健康问题的风险。心理社会风险（PSR）和与工作相关的压力被认为是职业安全与健康中最具挑战性的问题，因为它们会对个人、组织和经济产生影响。
本研究的目的是在 196 名葡萄牙 VSW 样本中确定 PSR（平均年龄为 36.49；标准差为 10.52）。使用一份问卷，其中包括社会人口统计学特征、与 VSW 工作相关的变量以及哥本哈根心理社会问卷 II（COPSOQ II）的葡萄牙语中等版本，以评估这些专业人员对 PSR 因素的看法。
结果表明，尽管 VSW 认识到一些有利于其健康和福祉的心理社会因素，但他们也确定了一些将他们置于中度和高度风险的 PSR，即情绪和认知需求，这是 VSW 的主要风险领域。38 岁以上的 VSW 在工作不安全感、倦怠和冒犯行为方面的得分更高。
这些发现为 VSW 相关领域提供了重要的见解。此外，研究结果强调了在鼓励健康和支持性工作环境、预防和促进 VSW 的健康和福祉方面的重要性，特别是在考虑到冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行的情况下。
