Title:
Peer support for private practice psychologists: the impact on resilience and compassion fatigue
Author:
Rebecca J. Dean
Committee Member:
Jeffrey Lating
Committee Member:
Jeffrey Barnett
Committee Member:
Matthew Kirkhart
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2014
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
The psychological profession is expanding in breadth and depth, largely due to the adaptability of the field to a number of different workplace environments. Despite the numerous workplace options, many clinical and counseling psychologists chose to enter private practice. Psychologists working in private practice may enjoy the benefits of more flexible hours, but are also vulnerable to the risks associated with private practice, including professional isolation and an inability to process countertransference reactions with others. The combination of these, and other emotional demands, may lead psychologists to experience compassion fatigue. Given the risks associated with the profession, and in particular with private practice, it seems important for psychologists to engage in behaviors that may foster resilience. The purpose of this study was to use a demographic questionnaire developed for this study, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 item, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale-Version 5, to assess the impact of formal peer support groups on levels of resilience and compassion fatigue in licensed private practice psychologists in the state of Maryland. The results revealed that 39% of a representative sample of licensed psychologists in private practice in the state of Maryland currently participates in a formal peer support group. Independent samples t-tests indicated that there was no relation between peer support use and levels of resilience. However, there was a relation between peer support group use and levels of compassion fatigue, such that participants experienced lower levels of compassion fatigue when utilizing an on-going formal peer support group than participants who did not utilize a peer support group. Post hoc analyses found that private practice psychologists who had engaged in a peer support group in the past, but are not currently had the lowest levels of resilience and highest levels of compassion fatigue when compared to current peer support group use, past use, and never having utilized a peer support group. The results suggest that for many individuals it might be important to continue engaging in a peer support format once they have experienced the professional and possibly personal benefits of a peer support group.
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
Use and Reproduction:
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Identifier:
DeanRJ-14
