- Secondary traumatic stress increases emotional exhaustion, leading to lower job satisfaction and greater turnover intentions among DSPs.
- Resilience and perceived organisational support directly bolster job satisfaction for DSPs.
- Perceived organisational support also reduces turnover intentions directly and indirectly by lowering emotional exhaustion.
Intellect Dev Disabil. 2026;64(3):224-236. doi: 10.1080/19349491.2026.2665617. Epub 2026 May 22.
ABSTRACT
This survey study examined how secondary traumatic stress (STS), emotional exhaustion (EE), and other personal and work-related factors of 406 direct support professionals (DSPs) affected job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Regression and structural equation modeling revealed that STS was positively related to EE that was negatively related to job satisfaction and positively related to turnover intentions, thus mediating the relationship between STS and these workplace outcomes. In addition, both resilience and perceived organizational support were positively and directly related to job satisfaction and perceived organizational support was indirectly through EE and directly related to turnover intentions. Findings highlight the need to address STS, the EE aspect of burnout, and organizational support to retain DSPs in high-stress social service roles.
PMID:42584878 | DOI:10.1080/19349491.2026.2665617
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