Frontline practitioners under pressure: secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction amongst professionals investigating child abuse

Frontline professionals involved in child abuse investigations face complex and demanding work environments. Repeated exposure to traumatic material places them at heightened risk for secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout. This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of STS, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, and associated psychosocial work factors, among 168 Norwegian police investigators and 31 healthcare and social workers. The officers were recruited from specialized units in child sexual abuse and violence across 11 police districts and the healthcare and social workers were employed at Children’s Advocacy Centers. A substantial proportion of the participants reported moderate levels of STS (38% of investigators; 45% of health/social workers). Moderate to high levels of burnout were reported by an even higher proportion of participants (64% and 52%, respectively). Despite these indications of psychological strain, about 97% of participants in both groups reported moderate to high levels of compassion satisfaction, indicative of professional fulfillment co-existing with occupational stress. Burnout and job demands were strongly associated with higher STS and lower compassion satisfaction, while positive work challenges and supportive organizational environments were associated with higher compassion satisfaction and lower STS. After controlling for burnout, some differences in occupational stress profiles emerged, with health/social workers reporting lower burnout but higher STS. These findings highlight the complex interplay of STS, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, as well as the protective role of compassion satisfaction.