Measuring secondary traumatic stress in therapists: A systematic review.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review examined how secondary traumatic stress (STS) is measured in therapy-offering mental health clinicians. Searches of five databases identified 49 eligible quantitative, peer-reviewed studies published in English through December 2024. The review found seven instruments; the Professional Quality of Life Scale and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale were most commonly used and assess STS from different perspectives. Reliability generalization indicated acceptable internal consistency for the former and excellent internal consistency for the latter. The authors concluded that no single measure captures the full domain of STS and that measure selection should reflect the symptoms of interest.

Key findings

• The review included 49 studies and identified seven instruments used to measure STS in mental health clinicians.
• The Professional Quality of Life Scale and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale were the most frequently used measures.
• Reliability generalization suggested acceptable internal consistency for the Professional Quality of Life Scale and excellent internal consistency for the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale.
• No single instrument was found to capture the entire domain of STS.

Why it matters

Measurement differences can make findings across studies difficult to compare and limit conclusions about STS in clinicians. Recognising that commonly used instruments assess STS from different perspectives helps interpret reported scores and supports more deliberate selection of outcomes in research and clinical assessment.

What to keep in mind

The review describes methodological inconsistencies in the underlying literature, including variation in measurement and populations studied; its conclusions are limited by the available studies and instruments.