TABLE 1.

Profile of New York City Social Workers Following the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

			Secondary Trauma				Burnout
	Sample		Low		High		Low		High
Sample Characteristics	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n
Gender
Male	20.5	47	21.5	42	14.7	5	21.0	41	17.6	6
Female	79.5	182	78.5	153	85.3	29	79.0	154	82.4	28
Race
Non-White	11.5	27	11.7	23	10.8	4	11.6	23	11.4	4
White	88.5	207	88.3	174	89.2	33	88.4	176	88.6	31
Age
49 or younger	17.2	39	18.1	35	11.8	4	16.9	33	18.8	6
50 to 59	49.8	113	48.2	93	58.8	20	48.7	95	56.3	18
60 or older	33.0	75	33.7	65	29.4	10	34.4	67	25.0	8
Marital status
Not married	42.3	99	40.6	80	51.4	19	39.2	78	60.0	21*
Married	57.7	135	59.4	117	48.6	18	60.8	121	40.0	14
Children younger than 18 in home
No	75.2	176	73.1	144	86.5	32	74.4	148	80.0	28
Yes	24.8	58	26.9	53	13.5	5	25.6	51	20.0	7
Years counseling experience
10 years or less	5.6	13	6.6	13	0.0	0	6.6	13	0.0	0
11 to 20 years	32.6	76	31.0	61	41.7	15	31.8	63	37.1	13
21 to 30 years	47.2	110	47.7	94	44.4	16	46.5	92	51.4	18
30 or more years	14.6	34	14.7	29	13.9	5	15.2	30	11.4	4
Negative life events past year
Low (0 or 1 event)	69.1	163	72.5	144	51.4	19*	72.6	146	48.6	17**
High (2 or more events)	30.9	73	27.6	55	48.6	18	27.4	55	51.4	18
Lifetime traumatic events
Low (0 to 2 events)	65.7	155	66.8	133	59.5	22	68.7	138	48.6	17*
High (3 or more events)	34.3	81	33.2	66	40.5	15	31.3	63	51.4	18
Clients who are victims of violence
Less than 20%	80.9	191	81.4	162	78.4	29	79.6	160	88.6	31
20% or more	19.1	45	18.6	37	21.6	8	20.4	41	11.4	4
World Trade Center counseling involvement
Low (less than 4 types)	81.8	193	82.9	165	75.7	28	81.6	164	82.9	29
High (4 or more types)	18.2	43	17.1	34	24.3	9	18.4	37	17.1	6
World Trade Center recovery involvement
Low (less than 4 activities)	80.9	191	84.9	169	59.5	22***	81.1	163	80.0	28
High (4 or more activities)	19.1	45	15.1	30	40.5	15	18.9	38	20.0	7
General social support
Low	45.9	105	44.0	85	55.6	20	45.2	89	50.0	16
High	54.1	124	56.0	108	44.4	16	54.8	108	50.0	16
Sense of mastery
Low	42.1	98	38.4	76	62.9	22**	35.2	70	82.4	28***
High	57.9	135	61.6	122	37.1	13	64.8	129	17.6	6
Have enough info to work effectively
No	62.1	144	59.7	117	75.0	27	59.8	119	75.8	25
Yes	37.9	88	40.3	79	25.0	9	40.2	80	24.2	8
Support from coworker or supervisor
Low	64.0	151	64.3	128	62.2	23	63.2	127	68.6	24
High	36.0	85	35.7	71	37.8	14	36.8	74	31.4	11
Poor health habits due to work
No	67.5	154	67.7	130	66.7	24	69.9	137	53.1	17
Yes	32.5	74	32.3	62	33.3	12	30.1	59	46.9	15
General Health Questionnaire score
Low (less than 4)	80.1	189	84.9	169	54.1	20***	85.1	171	51.4	18***
High (4 or more)	19.9	47	15.1	30	45.9	17	14.9	30	48.6	17
Secondary trauma score
Low	84.3	199	—	—	—	—	90.5	182	48.6	17***
High	15.7	37	—	—	—	—	9.5	19	51.4	18
Job burnout score
Low	85.2	301	91.5	182	51.4	19***	—	—	—	—
High	14.8	35	8.5	17	48.6	18	—	—	—	—

NOTE: N = 236.

^*p < .05.

^**p < .01.

^***p < .001. χ² test.