Date of Conferral
6-24-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
Geneva Gray
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for mental health professionals, significantly increasing burnout and secondary traumatic stress while reducing available resources and limiting opportunities for compassion satisfaction. The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative survey study was to determine whether self-care engagement predicts levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction among counselors. Grounded in Stamm’s theoretical framework on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, the Self-Care Assessment Worksheet (SCAW) was used to measure self-care engagement, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-V) was used to assess burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. The sample included 59 licensed counselors in the United States who self-reported an impact of COVID-19. The results of three linear regressions indicated that higher levels of self-care engagement significantly predicted lower burnout, F(1,53) = 30.89, p < .001, R2 = .37, lower secondary traumatic stress levels, F(1,52) = 7.06, p = .010, R2 = .12, and an increase in compassion satisfaction, F(1,53) = 24.86, p < .001, R2 = .32. Future research should continue exploring self-care’s predictive role in professional quality of life across diverse mental health disciplines. The study’s findings can empower licensed counselors, educators, and organizational leaders to implement effective wellness strategies that reduce burnout and secondary traumatic stress, enhance compassion satisfaction, and ultimately improve client care and public mental health outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Billings, Maria G., "Predictive Study of the Relationship Between Self-Care and Professional Quality of Life among Licensed Counselors Impacted by COVID-19" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18006.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18006
