Tekin Sahra, Lamb Danielle, Greene Talya, Tamworth Millie, Murphy Dominic, Billings Jo
Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK.
Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 30;13(1):584. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02923-6.
Due to long working hours, shifts, poor working conditions, and high risk of exposure to traumatic incidents at work, healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of developing mental health and wellbeing issues. Family members and close friends of HCWs are often the primary support source for the HCWs. However, while supporting the HCWs, family members' and friends' mental health and wellbeing may be impacted negatively. According to the findings of previous literature, family members of other high-risk workers may experience secondary traumatic stress. To date, there has been no research focusing on secondary traumatic stress in family members and friends of HCWs.
In this cross-sectional, mixed-method study, we examined secondary traumatic stress and associated factors amongst 320 household members (family members and housemates) of HCWs in the UK using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the predictors of secondary traumatic stress, specifically sex, age, job role of the HCW, and the relationship with the HCW. Then we used content analysis of responses to open-ended questions to explore the experiences of household members in-depth.
33.8% of household members reported secondary traumatic stress within the severe range. Female spouses and partners of HCWs with clinical roles showed higher STS compared to male and other household members of HCWs with non-clinical roles. In our regression model, we found that being female, having a HCW household member with a clinical role, and being a spouse or a partner of a HCW were statistically significant predictors of high STS. Open-ended responses showed that household members reported that HCWs tended to be irritated, quieter/distant, anxious/stressed, in low moods, and exhausted after having a difficult day at work. These feelings and behaviours impacted the rest of the household members negatively.
This is the first study which has examined secondary traumatic stress amongst household members of HCWs. While trying to support the HCW, household members were at high risk of developing secondary traumatic stress. There are research implications to understand HCWs' and their household members' experiences better, including extending current research and conducting further research exploring secondary traumatic stress in HCWs' household members, and factors associated with it, which go beyond the demographics examined here. There are also organisational and clinical implications to protect and support both HCWs and their household members, such as improved working conditions for HCWs and carefully planned psychological support for both HCWs and their household members.
由于工作时间长、轮班、工作条件差以及工作中遭受创伤事件的风险高，医护人员（HCWs）出现心理健康和幸福感问题的风险很高。医护人员的家庭成员和亲密朋友往往是他们的主要支持来源。然而，在支持医护人员的同时，家庭成员和朋友的心理健康和幸福感可能会受到负面影响。根据以往文献的研究结果，其他高风险职业者的家庭成员可能会经历继发性创伤应激。迄今为止，尚未有研究关注医护人员家庭成员和朋友的继发性创伤应激。
在这项横断面混合方法研究中，我们使用继发性创伤应激量表对英国320名医护人员的家庭成员（家庭成员和室友）的继发性创伤应激及相关因素进行了研究。我们使用多变量线性回归来研究继发性创伤应激的预测因素，特别是性别、年龄、医护人员的工作角色以及与医护人员的关系。然后，我们对开放式问题的回答进行内容分析，以深入探讨家庭成员的经历。
33.8%的家庭成员报告继发性创伤应激处于严重范围内。与非临床角色的医护人员的男性和其他家庭成员相比，担任临床角色的医护人员的女性配偶和伴侣表现出更高的继发性创伤应激水平。在我们的回归模型中，我们发现女性、有担任临床角色的医护人员家庭成员以及是医护人员的配偶或伴侣是继发性创伤应激水平高的统计学显著预测因素。开放式回答表明，家庭成员报告说，医护人员在工作中度过艰难的一天后往往会变得易怒、安静/疏远、焦虑/紧张、情绪低落和疲惫不堪。这些情绪和行为对其他家庭成员产生了负面影响。
这是第一项研究医护人员家庭成员继发性创伤应激的研究。在试图支持医护人员的同时，家庭成员出现继发性创伤应激的风险很高。为了更好地理解医护人员及其家庭成员的经历，有必要进行相关研究，包括扩展当前研究范围，并进一步探索医护人员家庭成员的继发性创伤应激及其相关因素，这些因素超出了本文所研究的人口统计学范畴。在保护和支持医护人员及其家庭成员方面，也有组织和临床层面的意义，例如改善医护人员的工作条件，为医护人员及其家庭成员精心规划心理支持。
