Secondary trauma and job burnout and associated factors among HIV lay counsellors in Nkangala district, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate secondary trauma and job burnout and associated factors in a sample of 71 HIV lay counsellors in South Africa. Results indicate that 49.5% were not satisfied with their work environment and 51.4% were potentially secondary traumatic stress cases. In univariate analysis, seeing more HIV counselling and testing clients, being HIV positive and a higher number of lifetime traumas was associated with secondary trauma, while in multivariable analysis only the higher number of lifetime traumas was associated with secondary trauma. In both univariate and multivariable analysis, seeing more HIV counselling and testing clients and a higher number of lifetime traumas were associated with job burnout.

Keywords:

• secondary trauma
• job burnout
• work stress
• lay counsellors
• HIV counselling
• South Africa

Acknowledgement

This research has been supported by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the terms of Cooperative Agreement Number U2G/PS000570. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

Notes on contributors

Karl Peltzer is Research Director in the research programme HIV/AIDS, STI and TB (HAST), Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa, and a research associate in Psychology at the University of Limpopo. His most recent book (co-authored with S. Pengrid) is Health Behaviour Interventions in Developing Countries (Nova Publishers, 2011).

Gladys Matseke is a PhD research trainee in the research programme HIV/AIDS, STI and TB (HAST), Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa.

Julia Louw a postdoctoral research fellow in the research programme HIV/AIDS, STI and TB (HAST), Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa.