The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers.

Social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of the nature of their work and the contexts within which they work. Little attention has been paid to the factors within a social worker's control that may prevent burnout and STS and increase compassion satisfaction. Empathy, which is a combination of physiological and cognitive processes, may be a tool to help address burnout and STS. This article reports on the findings of a study of social workers (N = 173) that explored the relationship between the components of empathy, burnout, STS, and compassion satisfaction using the Empathy Assessment Index and the Professional Quality of Life instruments. It was hypothesized that higher levels of empathy would be associated with lower levels of burnout and STS, and higher levels of compassion satisfaction. Findings suggest that components of empathy may prevent or reduce burnout and STS while increasing compassion satisfaction, and that empathy should be incorporated into training and education throughout the course of a social worker's career.

The West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline: challenges and lessons learned from running a remote quitline.

The West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline (WVPDAQ) is a resource that offers education and support to individuals and families affected by prescription drug abuse. The WVPDAQ began functioning September 11, 2008, through the use of mobile phone and laptop technology. Although some helplines and quitlines use some aspects of remote technology, most function through traditional call center and landline technology, making the WVPDAQ unique. This article describes the process evaluation of the WVPDAQ and outlines both the positive findings and challenges faced by the WVPDAQ. Lessons learned and future recommendations for remote quitline endeavors are also presented. It is hoped that the experiences and information regarding the WVPDAQ presented can provide best-practice insight for public health practitioners and evaluation personnel who are considering using alternative technologies to deliver quitline services.

Preliminary evaluation of the WV Prescription Drug Abuse Ouitline.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline (WVPDAQ). METHODS: Descriptive data and inferential analyses are provided for the period of operations from 9/11/2008 to 3/1/2010. Chi-square tests for Independence compared differences between callers completing at least one follow-up survey against callers completing only the baseline intake survey were observed. A Wilcoxon signed rank sum test tested differences between the scores of intake callers and follow-up callers at the one-week (n = 177) and one-month (n = 89) intervals. RESULTS: A total of 1,056 calls were received, including 670 intakes, 177 1st follow-ups, 89 2nd follow-ups, and 36 3rd follow ups, and 84 caller satisfaction surveys. Chi-square analyses determined that callers who only completed the intake survey tended to have initiated drug use at a younger age (< or = 39 years of age, chi2 = 7.63, p = .02). Longitudinal findings indicated significant self-reported declines in daily drug use (p < .0001), increased intentions to quit in the next 30 days (p < .0001), and declines in requesting a referral for treatment (p < .0001) at the one-month follow-up. Finally, approximately 19% (n = 17) of callers reported obtaining a counseling/ treatment appointment as a result of calling the WVPDAQ at the one-month follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results suggest the WVPDAQ has established itself as a meaningful resource to combat prescription drug abuse in West Virginia. Sustainable funding and greater integration of the WVPDAQ into existing and developing treatment infrastructure could provide more affordable options for the state of West Virginia and its citizens.