Working with trauma: The validation of the Italian Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale

Professionals who are in close contact with trauma victims are exposed to indirect trauma and may experience negative effects such as secondary traumatic stress (C. R. Figley, 1995). Secondary traumatic stress is characterized by avoidance of emotions or stimuli associated with the traumatic event, intrusive thoughts of the traumatic material, and increased physical tension (C. Figley, 1999). Bride et al. (2004) developed a self-report instrument to measure the extent of secondary traumatic stress in trauma workers, the secondary traumatic stress scale. The aim of the present study is to propose the Italian version of the instrument (STSS-I) and to investigate its factorial structure and other psychometric properties in a sample of 512 police, health care, and death care professionals in two steps. In Step 1, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor solution, showing a better fit eliminating Item 1 from the first factor (avoidance). In Step 2, the differences between groups were examined, and interesting results were found in relation to occupation, length of service, and age; in addition, the relationships between the STSS-I total index and the three individual factors (avoidance, arousal, and intrusion) and other constructs (job demands, job resources, and outcomes) were examined, all of which showed significant relationships. These results confirm the validity of the STSS-I and make it a useful instrument for assessing secondary traumatic stress in the Italian population. The STSS-I can be a useful tool to monitor and maintain the well-being of Italian professionals working with trauma.