Mental health and support profiles among children's advocacy center multidisciplinary team members working with victims of child sexual abuse material.
Kimberly J Mitchell, Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Lisa M Jones, Wendy Walsh, Deirde Colburn, Jennifer E O'Brien
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Professionals working with child sexual abuse, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), are at risk for adverse mental health outcomes due to repeated exposure to distressing experiences. Previous research on trauma-exposed professionals working with CSAM has focused on forensic examiners and law enforcement personnel, overlooking other Children's Advocacy Center multidisciplinary team (MDT) members who engage in CSAM-related work. Guided by compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress frameworks, this study examined heterogeneity in occupational functioning among MDT professionals working with CSAM-related cases.
Method: This study applied latent profile analysis to examine mental health and support patterns in a sample of 357 MDT members affiliated with Children's Advocacy Centers in the United States. Profiles were based on symptoms (e.g., depression, burnout), work-related attitudes, support seeking, and agency support. Occupational and agency-level factors were compared across profiles.
Results: A four-profile solution emerged: (1) isolated burnout (9.2%), (2) unsupported burnout (21.9%), (3) ambivalent (51.0%), and (4) empowered and supported (17.9%). Profiles differed across levels of psychological distress, burnout, organizational support, autonomy, and work-related functioning. The isolated burnout profile demonstrated the highest levels of depression, anxiety, and burnout, whereas the empowered and supported profile demonstrated the lowest distress and greatest organizational support.
Conclusions: Findings highlight heterogeneity in trauma-related occupational functioning among MDT members, with the majority reporting good mental health and feelings toward their work. The findings suggest that MDT professionals exposed to CSAM-related work do not experience uniform psychological outcomes and that organizational support, autonomy, and positive professional engagement may co-occur with more adaptive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
期刊介绍：
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy publishes empirical research on the psychological effects of trauma. The journal is intended to be a forum for an interdisciplinary discussion on trauma, blending science, theory, practice, and policy.
The journal publishes empirical research on a wide range of trauma-related topics, including:
-Psychological treatments and effects
-Promotion of education about effects of and treatment for trauma
-Assessment and diagnosis of trauma
-Pathophysiology of trauma reactions
-Health services (delivery of services to trauma populations)
-Epidemiological studies and risk factor studies
-Neuroimaging studies
-Trauma and cultural competence
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