ERIC Number: EJ935640
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0306-9885
EISSN: N/A
Adversarial Growth in Telephone Counsellors: Psychological and Environmental Influences
O'Sullivan, Julian; Whelan, Thomas A.
British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, v39 n4 p307-323 2011
The aims of this study were to investigate the level of adversarial growth among telephone counsellors, and to examine the influence of psychological and environmental factors on growth. In particular, the effect of compassion fatigue, empathy, environmental support and calls per shift on posttraumatic growth was assessed. Sixty-four telephone counsellors completed five self-report measures: a demographic questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, and the Crisis Support Scale. Although relatively low, levels of posttraumatic growth were in evidence. As predicted, compassion fatigue was significantly related to posttraumatic growth. In addition, calls per shift were associated with growth, although this was a negative relationship whereby the more calls that were taken, the lower the level of growth. Contrary to expectation, neither empathy nor crisis support were significant predictors of growth. In conclusion, adversarial growth was observed in the current sample of telephone counsellors. However, there appears to be a threshold of adversity, beyond which there is less likelihood of continued growth. This was evident in those telephone counsellors who, having taken a relatively high number of calls in a shift, were less likely to experience growth. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Counselor Attitudes, Fatigue (Biology), Altruism, Quality of Life, Coping, Measures (Individuals), Telecommunications, Psychology, Environmental Influences, Empathy, Counseling Techniques, Questionnaires, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A