46 CIENCIAS DE LA CONDUCTA Y ASUNTOS DE LA COMUNIDAD Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in a group of mental health professionals Posttraumatic stress disorder is an enduring, pathologic stress reaction that arises following exposure to trauma, including exposure to traumatic details through work with trauma survivors (Jankoski, 2012). The present work measured the prevalence of PTSD and the severity of traumarelated symptomatology and its association to exposure to indirect trauma and years of service among mental health professionals of a government institution in Puerto Rico. It also determined the reliability of the Spanish translation of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The design was quantitative, non-experimental and cross-sectional. The sample comprised 25 women and 5 men, all clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, or social workers. Results showed that 16.7% of the sample met the cutoff score for PTSD. Spearman’s demonstrated a positive association between exposure to indirect trauma and the severity of trauma-related symptoms as measured by PTSD caseload, which did not prove statistically significant rs = .048, p = >.5. Likewise, a Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference in the severity of trauma-related symptoms by years of service, x2 (3, n = 30) = .302, p = >.5. However, a positive correlation between severity of trauma symptoms and exposure as measured by the length of client intervention proved statistically significant, rs = .373, p = <.5, and Cronbach’s alpha revealed the PCL-5 demonstrated strong internal consistency (α=.94). Although PTSD and trauma-related symptoms were documented in the population, because of the small sample size, results should be preliminary and merit further research. Finally, strategies aimed at the prevention and management of indirect trauma are presented. emily n. cabrero santiago doctorado en filosofía con especialidad en psicología clínica mentor: dra. ana plaza montero indirect trauma posttraumatic stress disorder mental health professional prevalence
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