The Role of Emotion Regulation as a Potential Mediator between Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in Professionals Working in the Forced Migration Field

Francesca Tessitore, Alessia Caffieri (), Anna Parola, Mauro Cozzolino and Giorgia Margherita
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Francesca Tessitore: Department of Humanities, Philosophical and Educational Sciences, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Alessia Caffieri: Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy
Anna Parola: Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy
Mauro Cozzolino: Department of Humanities, Philosophical and Educational Sciences, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Giorgia Margherita: Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Professionals working with refugees are vicariously exposed to complex traumatic experiences lived by forced migrants, which can lead to the risk of developing secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and a poor compassion satisfaction. The current study aimed to explore the effects of secondary traumatic stress on burnout and compassion satisfaction in 264 Italian professionals working with refugees and forced migrants. Moreover, it examined the mediating role of emotion regulation between secondary traumatic stress and both burnout and compassion satisfaction. Methods: A structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the hypothesis. Results: The results showed that increased levels of secondary traumatic stress were associated with an increase of burnout both directly and indirectly through the mediation of emotion regulation. Emotion regulation also totally mediated the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction. Conclusions: The results suggested that prevention or interventions programs targeting emotion regulation might be important to improve the professional quality of life of operators working with refugees and forced migrants.

Keywords: secondary traumatic stress; emotional regulation; forced migration; mediation model; burnout; compassion satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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