There has been limited research on the potential for substance use helpers to have positive experiences as a result of their therapeutic work, previous research on the field of substance use treatment and the impact of working with individuals whom struggle with substance use disorders has been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between substance use helpers’ professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) with posttraumatic growth. In addition, this study also sought to determine if a relationship exists between personal and professional characteristics of substance use helpers and posttraumatic growth. Suggestions for future research include exploration of specific personal and environmental characteristics such as length of employment, location (rural vs urban), level of care (residential vs outpatient), and how these may contribute to experiences of posttraumatic growth. Additionally, comparisons of substance use helping professionals’ experiences of posttraumatic growth with other helping populations could provide further insights into contributing factors to positive outcomes in vicarious experiences.
","abstract_html":"<p>There has been limited research on the potential for substance use helpers to have positive experiences as a result of their therapeutic work, previous research on the field of substance use treatment and the impact of working with individuals whom struggle with substance use disorders has been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between substance use helpers’ professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) with posttraumatic growth. In addition, this study also sought to determine if a relationship exists between personal and professional characteristics of substance use helpers and posttraumatic growth. Suggestions for future research include exploration of specific personal and environmental characteristics such as length of employment, location (rural vs urban), level of care (residential vs outpatient), and how these may contribute to experiences of posttraumatic growth. Additionally, comparisons of substance use helping professionals’ experiences of posttraumatic growth with other helping populations could provide further insights into contributing factors to positive outcomes in vicarious experiences.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Haggerty, Denise"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"PhD","degree_level":"Immediate Access","degree_discipline":"Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Debra Hyatt-Burkhart, PhD","Gibbs Kanyongo, PhD","Yih-Hsing Liu, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-05-10T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-05-10T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:50Z","subjects":["substance use treatment","posttraumatic growth","professional quality of life","training","vicarious experiences","Counseling","Counseling Psychology","Counselor Education","Psychology","Student Counseling and Personnel Services"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1763","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Debra Hyatt-Burkhart, PhD","Gibbs Kanyongo, PhD","Yih-Hsing Liu, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Haggerty, Denise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-05-10T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Immediate Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["PhD"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["substance use treatment","posttraumatic growth","professional quality of life","training","vicarious experiences","Counseling","Counseling Psychology","Counselor Education","Psychology","Student Counseling and Personnel Services"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1763"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["There has been limited research on the potential for substance use helpers to have positive experiences as a result of their therapeutic work, previous research on the field of substance use treatment and the impact of working with individuals whom struggle with substance use disorders has been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between substance use helpers’ professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) with posttraumatic growth. In addition, this study also sought to determine if a relationship exists between personal and professional characteristics of substance use helpers and posttraumatic growth. Suggestions for future research include exploration of specific personal and environmental characteristics such as length of employment, location (rural vs urban), level of care (residential vs outpatient), and how these may contribute to experiences of posttraumatic growth. Additionally, comparisons of substance use helping professionals’ experiences of posttraumatic growth with other helping populations could provide further insights into contributing factors to positive outcomes in vicarious experiences.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Substance Use Helpers: An Exploration into the Relationship Between Professional Quality of Life and Posttraumatic Growth"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Debra Hyatt-Burkhart, PhD","Gibbs Kanyongo, PhD","Yih-Hsing Liu, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Haggerty, Denise"],"dc:date.available":["2019-05-10T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["There has been limited research on the potential for substance use helpers to have positive experiences as a result of their therapeutic work, previous research on the field of substance use treatment and the impact of working with individuals whom struggle with substance use disorders has been explored. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between substance use helpers’ professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) with posttraumatic growth. In addition, this study also sought to determine if a relationship exists between personal and professional characteristics of substance use helpers and posttraumatic growth. Suggestions for future research include exploration of specific personal and environmental characteristics such as length of employment, location (rural vs urban), level of care (residential vs outpatient), and how these may contribute to experiences of posttraumatic growth. Additionally, comparisons of substance use helping professionals’ experiences of posttraumatic growth with other helping populations could provide further insights into contributing factors to positive outcomes in vicarious experiences.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1763"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["substance use treatment","posttraumatic growth","professional quality of life","training","vicarious experiences","Counseling","Counseling Psychology","Counselor Education","Psychology","Student Counseling and Personnel Services"],"dc:title":["Substance Use Helpers: An Exploration into the Relationship Between Professional Quality of Life and Posttraumatic Growth"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)"],"thesis:degree_level":["Immediate Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:10:50Z"}