Principal Investigator, Affiliation and Contact Information: Dr. Kai. A. D. Morgan; KAHLE Journey email address: kahlejourney@gmail.com phone number: (876)869-5005
Vicarious Trauma is an emotional effect of being exposed to traumatic stories and experiences. The purpose of the study is to analyse the rate of vicarious trauma among mental health professionals in Jamaica along with identifying any protective or risk factors that may affect the level of vicarious trauma the professional may experience. This study analyses demographic, lifestyle, compassion fatigue and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Compassion Fatigue describes the physical, emotional and psychological impact of helping others. ACEs include traumatic events/stressors in childhood or adolescence like abuse, neglect, and other major stressors such as witnessing violence and bullying. These factors can impact the wellbeing of the practitioners and the quality of support that they are able to provide to their clients.
Participants must be mental health professionals that work and live in Jamaica. It will take approximately 8-15 minutes for you to complete this questionnaire. All principles enunciated in the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Guidelines for the Conduct of Research on Human Subjects have been complied with.
Filling out this questionnaire can cause discomfort when responding to questions related to your vicarious trauma experiences, compassion fatigue, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and lifestyle in the form of emotional distress or traumatic memories. If you notice that you are experiencing distress and need support, please contact K.A.D Morgan and Associates via telephone at (876) 869-7657 or email kadmorganpractice75@gmail.com. If you are experiencing overwhelming feelings of distress visit your nearest public hospital emergency room or call the police at 119 for assistance. For independent advice, you may also contact the MoHW Chairperson of the Ministry of Health’s Ethics and Medico-legal Affairs Panel at 876-633-8172 or 876-633-7771.
People who participate in this study may have a better understanding of the effects of their work with a traumatized community on their overall wellbeing and conversely..You are also contributing to the overall understanding for best practices in mental health for our Jamaican people.
Your responses are completely anonymous. No personal identifying information or IP addresses will be collected. No names or other identifying information will be used when discussing or reporting data. The investigator(s) will safely keep all files and data collected in a secured computer file on a computer at the principal investigator’s office. Once the data has been fully analysed it will be destroyed.
By ticking “yes” on this form, you authorize the use and disclosure of the following information for this research: my responses to the questionnaire, any observations made, and findings found during the course of this study for education, publication and/or presentation.
Participants will not be compensated for participation in this study.
Your decision to participate in this study is completely voluntary. If you decide to not participate in this study, it will not affect the care, services, or benefits to which you are entitled.
If you decide to participate in this study, you may withdraw from your participation at any time without penalty.
There is no cost for participating in this study. Any medical expenses resulting from participation in this study will not be reimbursed by the investigators.
