Keywords

Secondary Trauma, Vicarious Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, Chronic Illness, Parents

Abstract

The current study examined the presence of and relationships between secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and posttraumatic growth in caregivers of children with chronic illnesses (N = 148). Findings from scored sums of secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and posttraumatic growth indicate the presence of these constructs within the given sample. Results also indicate statistically significant relationships between secondary trauma and vicarious trauma and vicarious trauma and posttraumatic growth. Results further indicated that secondary trauma predicts vicarious trauma, and vicarious trauma predicts posttraumatic growth. The results substantiate that caring for a child with a chronic illness is a traumatic event, and helping professionals play a significant role in providing education, support, and training when working with this unique caregiver population. Implications for research and practice are provided.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Zeligman, Melissa

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Counselor Education & School Psychology

Degree Program

Education, Counselor Education & Supervision

Format

application/pdf

Language

English

Rights

In copyright

Release Date

November 2027

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Campus-only Access)

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

Meets minimum standards for ETDs/HUTs

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Restricted to the UCF community until November 2027; it will then be open access.

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