Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth among Refugee Service Providers in Istanbul,Turkey

Abstract

This article examines the scope and prevalence of vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) among service providers working with Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey. VPTG is the phenomenon that, under certain conditions, exposure to traumatic material because of work with traumatized individuals can result in positive psychological growth. This growth can include greater appreciation for life, changed priorities, and an enriched spiritual life, among others. We surveyed 104 service providers throughout Istanbul in 2018. A multivariable logistic regression was used to examine how professional trauma exposure (proportion of clients who disclose trauma, secondary traumatic stress [STS]), support systems (perceived social support, perceived organizational support), and professional experience are associated with VPTG. We hypothesized that greater exposure to traumatic material, stronger support systems, and greater professional experience were associated with higher levels of VPTG. We found nearly half (44.66%) of service providers surveyed had moderate-to-high levels of VPTG. Our hypothesis was partially supported. Moderate/high/severe STS [aOR:3.98, (95% CI:1.26, 12.59)], higher social support [aOR:1.05, (95% CI:1.00, 1.10)], and higher organizational support [OR:1.11, (95% CI:1.02, 1.20)] were associated with moderate-to-high VPTG. However, the proportion of clients who disclose trauma and years in profession did not show significant associations. While secondary stress may be a natural biproduct of work with traumatized individuals, providers may also experience growth from those same experiences. Findings from this analysis elucidate pathways whereby organizations may foster VPTG, such as providing a peer support program to facilitate social support and establishing a feedback loop to enhance organizational support.