About one third of frontline staff at 23 homeless shelters in Alberta were found to have experienced symptoms of Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The statistic comes from a study released by the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work this week. “It’s definitely traumatizing to hear about or witness some of the horrible things that frontline workers encounter, especially when they have a personal relationship, or are trying to help those involved,” said Dr. Jeannette Waegemakers Schiff, Ph.D., a social work researcher at the University of Calgary. She and Athabasca University researcher Dr. Annette M. Lane, Ph.D., studied 472 frontline staff at 23 different organizations in Edmonton and Calgary. They found 33 per cent of those individuals experienced symptoms of PTSD. They also found 24 per cent experienced burnout and “sufficiently elevated” levels of trauma. “When people have no outlet for their emotions, things build over time, and that creates traumatic stress. They can't take a mental health day, or take time off because its frowned upon,” said Waegemakers Schiff. “There aren't policies in any of these agencies that allow workers to take paid leave after a bad experience—the way that police or firefighters would for example.” The rate of PTSD in shelter workers was also found to be much higher than some frontline emergency workers. Studies show 10 to 14 per cent of firefighters, police and paramedics, and 14 to 17 per cent of nurses may experience PTSD. The researchers hope their findings help organizations get a better understanding of the impact on staff. "I strongly advocate for organizations to develop trauma-informed practices going forward because of the significant impact it's going to have on their staff," says Waegemakers Schiff. "We need a root-shift in organizational culture to realize that there are things an organization can do that will either exacerbate traumatic responses in staff and clients, or lessen them, depending on the way you go," she added. Waegemakers Schiff is already working on a follow-up study.
