Family functioning, burnout and secondary traumatic stress among psychologists

 Co esponding au ho : De anshi Bhaga Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0. Family unc ioning, bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess among psychologis s De anshi Bhaga  and Deep hi Vijayan Depa men o Psychology, K is u Jayan i College, Au onomous, Bangalo e, India. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 02 Ma ch 2025; e ised on 16 Ap il 2025; accep ed on 19 Ap il 2025 A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.26.1.1214 Abs ac Psychologis s o en wo k in emo ionally d i en en i onmen s, egula ly dealing wi h clien s’ auma and dis ess which leads o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess. Family is conside ed as one o he i al sou ces o suppo . Hence, his s udy in es iga es he ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning, bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) among psychologis s. I is a co ela ional design and a da a o 254 psychologis s was collec ed in India h ough s anda dized ools. The esul s o his s udy exhibi ed ha psychologis s om dys unc ional amily en i onmen s epo ed highe le els o emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, and STS. Addi ionally, poo amily unc ioning was also linked o sligh ly highe le els o pe sonal achie emen , possibly indica ing a coping mechanism whe e indi iduals channelize hei ene gy in o wo k o a sense o pu pose. I was also seen ha bu nou and STS did no a y much based on he expe ience le el o he psychologis . These indings emphasize on he impo ance o ecognizing pe sonal li e ac o s, like amily unc ioning o unde s and occupa ional s esso s. Hence, suppo ing psychologis s bo h a wo k and home could be he key o p omo e long- e m well-being and esilience in he ield. Keywo ds: Family Func ioning; Bu nou ; Seconda y T auma ic S ess; Psychologis s; Occupa ional S ess 1. In oduc ion Psychologis s o en wo k in emo ionally d aining en i onmen s, deeply imme sed in auma s o ies hei clien ’s sha e, which makes hem p one o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS). The oll o occupa ional s esso s exp essed h ough emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, i.e., a sense o de achmen , and eelings o educed pe sonal achie emen has been well documen ed in exis ing esea ch [1]. Addi ionally, he epea ed exposu e o clien s’ auma ic expe iences indi ec ly has been associa ed wi h de eloping STS [2]. In ecen yea s, esea che s ha e begun o elucida e on how unc ioning o he amily, i.e., communica ion, quali y o ela ionships, and adap abili y wi hin he home, can ei he ac as a powe ul p o ec i e ac o o in ensi y hese occupa ional s esso s [3] [4]. The s udy d aws om se e al heo e ical amewo ks o consolida e i s explo a ion. Fi s ly, Hob oll’s Conse a ion o Resou ces heo y sugges s ha s ess eme ges when an indi idual pe cei es a h ea o pe sonal impo an esou ces, a isk ha may be mi iga ed by s ong and suppo i e amily unc ioning [5]. Simila ly, he Job Demands-Resou ces model a gues ha ex e nal suppo like a heal hy and suppo i e amily unc ioning may se e as a p o ec i e ac o agains wo k- ela ed s ess [6]. Consis en ly, he s ess and coping model highligh s how indi iduals eac o s ess is con ingen upon hei in e p e a ion o he s esso and he p esence o suppo i e su oundings [7], while he sys emic-ecological model emphasizes he ela ionship be ween indi iduals and he b oade sys ems hey a e pa o [8]. In ligh o his, bu nou is unde s ood om he pe spec i e o Maslach Bu nou In en o y, which illus a es h ee dimensions o bu nou , i.e., emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion and pe sonal achie emen [9]. STS is unde s ood om he pe spec i e o he Seconda y T auma ic S ess Scale which is used o measu e he equency o symp oms Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2793 ela ed o indi ec exposu e o auma [10]. Since pe sonal and p o essional sphe es in e sec , gaining insigh in o how amily unc ioning in luences hese occupa ional s esso s can help in de eloping e ec i e in e en ions o sa egua d he esilience o psychologis s [11]. 2. Me hod 2.1. Resea ch Design The p esen s udy employs a quan i a i e co ela ional esea ch design o explo e he ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning, bu nou , and seconda y auma ic s ess among Indian psychologis s. Because he s udy does no manipula e any o he a iables, he e o e a co ela ional design is app op ia e since i allows iden i ica ion o s a is ical associa ions be ween cons uc s wi hou implying causali y. To in es iga e he ela ionship be ween he a iables, linea eg ession was used o de e mine whe he amily unc ioning is p edic i e o bu nou and STS. Analysis o Va iance (ANCOVA) was also used o see how bu nou and STS a ies among di e en expe ience le els o psychologis s. The use o hese s a is ical me hods inc eases he abili y o he esea ch o de e mine meaning ul indings on he ela ionship be ween occupa ional s ess and amily unc ioning among psychologis s. 2.2. Pa icipan s The s udy in ol ed pa icipa ion o 254 p ac icing psychologis s om ac oss India wi h a ying wo k expe ience, gende , and wo kplaces. Ou o he pa icipan s, 213 (83.9%) we e emales and 41 (16.1%) we e males, which is he global end epo ing mo e women en e ing men al heal h ca ee s. To explo e how amily unc ioning in e ac s wi h bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) ac oss he s ages o hei p o ession, he pa icipan s we e classi ied in o p o essional expe ience ca ego ies as: 27.6% had 0 o 1 yea , 29.1% had 2 o 4 yea s, 27.2% had 5 o 9 yea s, and 16.5% had 10 o mo e yea s o expe ience as a psychologis . The psychologis s p ac iced in di e en se ings such as in clinics, hospi als, p i a e se ings, and h ough online media, which is he di e se pa e n o psychological p ac ice ac oss he Indian con ex . Fo he pu poses o esea ch ocus, ull- ime p ac i ione s wi h a minimum Mas e 's deg ee (MA/MSc) in Psychology o a ela ed ield we e selec ed o inclusion, which ensu ed all he pa icipan s had o mal aining and ac ually in ol ed di ec clien in e ac ion. 2.3. Sample Con enience sampling was u ilized in he ec ui men o pa icipan s. Psychologis s we e in i ed o ake pa h ough p o essional ne wo ks, psychological associa ions, online men al heal h communi ies and ins i u ional ou each. Con enience sampling was u ilized since a la ge pa icipan popula ion could be eached and s ill accomplish he ep esen a ion among a ious p o essional se ings. While his me hod es ic s he gene alizabili y o he esul s, conside ing he logis ical cons ain s o accessing psychologis s om all o e India, i was deemed sui able. 2.4. Inclusion C i e ia To be eligible o pa icipa e, pa icipan s had o mee he ollowing equi emen s: • Should be a p ac icing psychologis in India, ac i ely in ol ed in p o iding psychological se ices. • Mus be a ull- ime psychologis , i.e., no p o essionals spli ing hei ime be ween psychology and o he a eas (e.g., pa - ime lec u e s). • A leas a mas e 's deg ee (MA/MSc) in Psychology o a ele an discipline is necessa y o o e p ope o mal p o essional aining. • English language p o iciency is necessa y o ill ou he s anda dized ques ionnai es co ec ly. 2.5. Exclusion C i e ia Indi iduals we e excluded om he s udy i hey me any o he ollowing c i e ia: • Re i ed psychologis s o hose who a e no cu en ly p ac icing. • S a in non-clinical, esea ch, o adminis a i e posi ions who a e no in di ec con ac wi h clien s. • Psychologis s who we e ainees o in e ns and had no ye ecei ed hei comple e p o essional aining. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2794 2.6. Measu es The s udy employed h ee well- ecognized psychome ic scales o assess psychologis s' amily unc ioning, bu nou , and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS). Family unc ioning was assessed wi h he Gene al Func ioning subscale o he Family Assessmen De ice (FAD-GF) cons uc ed by Eps ein, Baldwin, and Bishop [13]. The measu e assesses signi ican aspec s o amily unc ioning such as emo ional esponsi eness, communica ion, and p oblem-sol ing, and has consis en ly epo ed high in e nal consis ency (α >.85) in o he s udies. Bu nou was assessed using he Maslach Bu nou In en o y (MBI), de eloped by Maslach and Jackson [14], which measu es h ee main dimensions: emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, and educed pe sonal accomplishmen . The MBI is one o he mos widely used ins umen s o measu e p o essional bu nou and has shown high psychome ic eliabili y (α >.80) in mos p o essions, wi h speci ic ocus on he men al heal h p o ession [15]. Seconda y auma ic s ess was measu ed using he Seconda y T auma ic S ess Scale (STSS) by B ide and colleagues [16], which measu es in usion, a oidance, and hype a ousal symp oms ha esul om indi ec exposu e o he auma o he clien s. The STSS has been widely used in s udies o p o essionals wo king wi h auma and has high in e nal consis ency (α > .90). 2.7. Hypo heses • H₀₁: The e is no signi ican ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning, seconda y auma ic s ess, and bu nou among psychologis s. • H₀₂: Family unc ioning has no signi ican impac on bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess among psychologis s. • H₀₃: Bu nou does no signi ican ly di e among psychologis s wi h di e en le els o expe ience. • H₀₄: STS does no signi ican ly di e among psychologis s wi h di e en le els o expe ience. 2.8. P ocedu e Da a we e ga he ed wi hin h ee mon hs ia an online su ey ha was dis ibu ed ia p o essional ne wo ks, psychology o ums, and di ec ins i u ional ou each. In o med consen was sough om pa icipan s p io o su ey comple ion, ou lining he pu pose o he esea ch, con iden iali y measu es, and olun a y pa icipa ion igh s. The su ey was conduc ed in English and ook app oxima ely 15-20 minu es o comple e. The p esen s udy adhe ed o he e hical guidelines o he Ame ican Psychological Associa ion's (APA, 7 h edi ion) o sa egua d pa icipan s' igh s and da a. Anonymi y was main ained by a oiding collec ion o any pe sonally iden i iable in o ma ion and hence keeping all he answe s con iden ial. The pa icipan s we e app ised o hei igh o wi hd aw om pa icipa ion in he s udy a any ime wi h no ad e se impac . O he han his, e y s ic da a p o ec ion p ocedu es we e used, keeping all he answe s con iden ial and only g an ing access o he esea ch eam. 3. Resul s Table 1 Co ela ions Be ween Family Func ioning, Bu nou , and Seconda y T auma ic S ess Va iable n M SD 1 2 3 4 5 Family Func ioning 254 2.40 0.455 - Emo ional Exhaus ion 254 22.4 5.66 0.194** - Depe sonalisa ion 254 14.1 4.19 0.151* 0.351*** - Pe sonal Achie emen 254 26.3 4.84 0.129* 0.310*** 0.236*** - Seconda y T auma ic S ess 254 21.2 7.09 0.306*** 0.349*** 0.192** 0.065 - No e. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 Table 1 shows Pea son co ela ion coe icien s among amily unc ioning and he h ee bu nou subscales—namely emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, and pe sonal achie emen —and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS). The indings sugges ha he e a e s a is ically signi ican posi i e co ela ions be ween amily unc ioning and emo ional exhaus ion ( =.194, p <.01), depe sonaliza ion ( =.151, p <.05), pe sonal achie emen ( =.129, p <.05), and STS ( =.306, p <.001). Since highe sco es on he amily unc ioning scale sugges poo e amily unc ioning, he indings Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2795 sugges ha psychologis s epo ing g ea e dys unc ion in hei amily su oundings a e likely o ha e g ea e bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess. Among he bu nou dimensions, emo ional exhaus ion was mos s ongly co ela ed wi h depe sonaliza ion ( =.351, p <.001) and STS ( =.349, p <.001) and showed mode a e co ela ion wi h pe sonal achie emen ( =.310, p <.001). This implies a pa e n sugges ing emo ionally exhaus ed psychologis s a e mo e de ached om clien s and also demons a e seconda y auma symp oms. Depe sonaliza ion was seen o be s ongly co ela ed wi h pe sonal achie emen ( =.236, p <.001) and STS ( =.192, p <.01), sugges ing ha inc eased de achmen om wo k is associa ed wi h inc eased isk o auma- ela ed s ess. In e es ingly, pe sonal achie emen did no show signi ican co ela ion wi h STS ( =.065, p = ns), sugges ing ha a psychologis 's sel -pe cei ed p o essional compe ence migh no necessa ily be co ela ed wi h suscep ibili y o seconda y auma ic s ess. Table 2 Reg ession Model Summa y o Family Func ioning P edic ing Emo ional Exhaus ion Model R R Squa e Adjus ed R Squa e S d. E o o he Es ima e R Squa e Change F Change d 1 d 2 Sig. F Change 1 .194a .038 .034 5.56844 .038 9.821 1 252 .002 a. P edic o s: (Cons an ), FAD Table 3 Reg ession Coe icien s o Family Func ioning P edic ing Emo ional Exhaus ion Uns anda dized Coe icien s S anda dized Coe icien s 95.0% Con idence In e al o B Model B S d. E o Be a Sig. Lowe Bound Uppe Bound 1 (Cons an ) 16.595 1.882 8.819 0.000 12.889 20.301 FAD 2.413 0.770 0.194 3.134 0.002 0.897 3.930 a. Dependen Va iable: EE To explo e he po en ial p edic i e unc ion o amily unc ioning on emo ional exhaus ion, an impo an aspec o bu nou , a linea eg ession analysis was un. F om Table 2, as p esen ed, he esul s o he analysis indica ed ha amily unc ioning explained 3.8% o he a iance in emo ional exhaus ion (R² = .038, Adjus ed R² = .034). While he e ec size is deemed ela i ely small, he model was s a is ically signi ican , F(1, 252) = 9.821, p = .002, indica ing ha amily unc ioning does signi ican ly con ibu e o emo ional exhaus ion. Fu he de ails om he eg ession coe icien s in Table 3 explain his ela ionship. The uns anda dized coe icien (B = 2.413, SE =.770) indica es ha o e e y uni ise in he amily unc ioning sco e explains poo e amily unc ioning, he e is a co esponding 2.41-poin ise in emo ional exhaus ion, gi en ha o he a iables a e held cons an . The s anda dized be a coe icien (β =.194, = 3.134, p =.002) also indica es a signi ican posi i e ela ionship be ween he wo a iables. Finally, he 95% con idence in e al o B (0.897 o 3.930) does no con ain ze o, hus adding o he alidi y o his esul and highligh ing he signi icance o amily unc ioning in he de elopmen o emo ional well-being among psychologis s. Table 4 Reg ession Model Summa y o Family Func ioning P edic ing Depe sonalisa ion Model R R Squa e Adjus ed R Squa e S d. E o o he Es ima e R Squa e Change F Change d 1 d 2 Sig. F Change 1 0.151a 0.023 0.019 4.15493 0.023 5.896 1 252 0.016 a. P edic o s: (Cons an ), FAD Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2796 Table 5 Reg ession Coe icien s o Family Func ioning P edic ing Depe sonalisa ion Uns anda dized Coe icien s S anda dized Coe icien s 95.0% Con idence In e al o B Model B S d. E o Be a Sig. Lowe Bound Uppe Bound 1 (Cons an ) 10.788 1.404 7.683 0.000 8.023 13.553 FAD 1.396 0.575 0.151 2.428 0.016 0.264 2.527 a. Dependen Va iable: DP The eg ession model examined he p edic i e ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning, acco ding o he Family Assessmen De ice (FAD), and depe sonaliza ion, a bu nou dimension. In Table 4, he eg ession model summa y is shown, which e ealed ha amily unc ioning accoun ed o a a iance o 2.3% in depe sonaliza ion (R² =.023, Adjus ed R² =.019). The model was s a is ically signi ican (F(1, 252) = 5.896, p =.016), hus showing ha he a iance in psychologis s' depe sonaliza ion le els is associa ed wi h amily unc ioning. Table 5 displays he eg ession coe icien s and inds ha depe sonaliza ion was p edic ed signi ican ly by amily unc ioning (β =.151, = 2.428, p =.016). The uns anda dized eg ession coe icien (B = 1.396) sugges s ha o each one-uni inc ease in amily dys unc ion, depe sonaliza ion sco es wen up by 1.396 poin s. The 95% con idence in e al o he coe icien was 0.264 o 2.527, hus ep esen ing a signi ican posi i e ela ionship. Table 6 Reg ession Model Summa y o Family Func ioning P edic ing Pe sonal Achie emen Model R R Squa e Adjus ed R Squa e S d. E o o he Es ima e R Squa e Change F Change d 1 d 2 Sig. F Change 1 0.129a 0.017 0.013 4.80409 0.017 4.284 1 252 0.039 a. P edic o s: (Cons an ), FAD Table 7 Reg ession Coe icien s o Family Func ioning P edic ing Pe sonal Achie emen Uns anda dized Coe icien s S anda dized Coe icien s 95.0% Con idence In e al o B Model B S d. E o Be a Sig. Lowe Bound Uppe Bound 1 (Cons an ) 22.993 1.623 14.163 0.000 19.796 26.191 FAD 1.375 0.664 0.129 2.070 0.039 0.067 2.683 a. Dependen Va iable: PA Reg ession analysis was conduc ed o in es iga e he co ela ion be ween amily unc ioning, as assessed by he Family Assessmen De ice (FAD), and pe sonal achie emen , one o he componen s o bu nou . The summa y o he eg ession model is p esen ed in Table 6, whe e i was ound ha amily unc ioning accoun ed o 1.7% o he a iance in pe sonal achie emen (R² =.017, Adjus ed R² =.013). The model was signi ican s a is ically (F(1, 252) = 4.284, p =.039), which means ha amily unc ioning has a small bu signi ican e ec on pe sonal achie emen . Table 7 p esen s he eg ession coe icien s, and hese e eal ha amily unc ioning is also a s ong p edic o o pe sonal achie emen (β =.129, = 2.070, p =.039). The uns anda dized eg ession coe icien (B = 1.375) indica es ha wi h each inc ease o one uni o amily dys unc ion, pe sonal achie emen sco es inc ease by 1.375 poin s. The 95% con idence in e al (0.067 – 2.683) con i ms a posi i e and signi ican ela ionship. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2797 Table 8 Reg ession Model Summa y o Family Func ioning P edic ing Seconda y T auma ic S ess Model R R Squa e Adjus ed R Squa e S d. E o o he Es ima e R Squa e Change F Change d 1 d 2 Sig. F Change 1 0.306a 0.094 0.090 6.75940 0.094 26.091 1 252 0.000 a. P edic o s: (Cons an ), FAD Table 9 Reg ession Coe icien s o Family Func ioning P edic ing Seconda y T auma ic S ess Uns anda dized Coe icien s S anda dized Coe icien s 95.0% Con idence In e al o B Model B S d. E o Be a Sig. Lowe Bound Uppe Bound 1 (Cons an ) 9.772 2.284 4.278 0.000 5.273 14.270 FAD 4.774 0.935 0.306 5.108 0.000 2.934 6.615 a. Dependen Va iable: STS A linea eg ession es was conduc ed o examine he p edic i e co ela ion be ween amily unc ioning (independen a iable) and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) (dependen a iable). Table 8 p esen s he model summa y, and he R alue is.306, indica ing a mode a e posi i e ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning and STS. The R² alue o .094 indica es ha 9.4% o STS a iance could be explained by amily unc ioning. The model was signi ican a he s a is ical le el, F(1, 252) = 26.091, p <.001, indica ing ha amily unc ioning p edic s STS signi ican ly. Table 9 shows he eg ession coe icien s, and as i can be obse ed, amily unc ioning is a signi ican p edic o o STS (β =.306, = 5.108, p <.001). The uns anda dized coe icien (B = 4.774, p <.001) e eals ha o a one-uni inc ease in amily unc ioning, STS also inc eases by app oxima ely 4.77 uni s. The 95% con idence in e al (2.934, 6.615) is no ze o, again con i ming he s a is ical signi icance o he ela ionship. Table 10 One-Way ANOVA Resul s o Bu nou Dimensions by Expe ience Le el Va iables F d 1 d 2 p EE 1.165 3 250 0.324 DP 0.220 3 250 0.883 PA 0.375 3 250 0.771 One-way ANOVA was employed o examine whe he psychologis s wi h a ying le els o p o essional expe ience di e in hei bu nou le els. Bu nou was measu ed on all h ee dimensions: Emo ional Exhaus ion (EE), Depe sonaliza ion (DP), and Pe sonal Accomplishmen (PA). The esul s indica ed ha he e we e no s a is ically signi ican di e ences ac oss any o he bu nou dimensions when expe ience le els we e con as ed. Mo e speci ically, wi h espec o Emo ional Exhaus ion, he es yielded F(3, 250) = 1.165, p =.324; o Depe sonaliza ion, F(3, 250) = 0.220, p =.883; and o Pe sonal Accomplishmen , F(3, 250) = 0.375, p =.771. Le ene's es o homogenei y o a iances alida ed ha he assump ion o equal a iances had been sa is ied in all he h ee dimensions (p > .05), hus making i app op ia e o use ANOVA. To his end, he null hypo hesis (H₀₃), which had pos ula ed ha le els o bu nou do no signi ican ly a y among psychologis s wi h di e en le els o expe ience, was accep ed. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2798 Table 11 One-Way ANOVA Resul s o STS by Expe ience Le el Va iables F d 1 d 2 p STS 0.623 3 129 0.601 To examine he possible di e ence in he le els o Seconda y T auma ic S ess (STS) among psychologis s wi h a ying le els o p o essional expe ience, one-way ANOVA was employed. Welch's ANOVA was used due o i s obus ness o iola ions o he assump ion o homogenei y o a iances. The es did no show any s a is ically signi ican di e ence in STS sco es by le els o expe ience, F(3, 129) = 0.623, p = 0.601. Le ene's es o homogenei y o a iances was no signi ican , F(3, 250) = 0.850, p = 0.467, hus showing ha he equal a iances assump ion was me . The indings show ha le els o STS a e no signi ican ly di e en based on psychologis s' le els o expe ience, hus suppo ing he null hypo hesis (H₀₄). 4. Discussion The pu pose o his s udy was o explo e he ela ionship be ween amily unc ioning, bu nou , and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) among psychologis s. Following he spillo e heo y and he Job Demands-Resou ces (JD-R) model as he basis o he unde lying heo e ical models, he indings depic he complex in e play be ween pe sonal and p o essional domains, con a y o he hypo hesis ha wo k s esso s a e independen . The indings p o ide aluable insigh s in o how amily unc ioning a ec s he di e en ace s o bu nou —emo ional exhaus ion (EE), depe sonaliza ion (DP), and pe sonal achie emen (PA) and suscep ibili y o STS. 4.1. Family Func ioning and Bu nou The esul s show ha dys unc ional amily unc ioning is posi i ely co ela ed wi h high le els o emo ional exhaus ion and depe sonaliza ion among psychologis s, hus con i ming he hypo hesis ha s ess ela ed o amily p oblems inc eases p o essional bu nou . The esul s a e consis en wi h p e ious s udies hypo hesizing ha dys unc ional amilies gene a e inc eased emo ional dis ess, which e odes indi iduals' esilience o eco e om wo k- ela ed s ess [12,13]. Spillo e heo y accoun s o his phenomenon by sugges ing ha s ess and emo ional exhaus ion in one sphe e o li e ( amily) spill o e in o pe o mance and mo i a ion in ano he sphe e o li e (wo k). Bu he ou come o indi idual accomplishmen shows a su p ising end. In con as o he hypo hesis ha dys unc ional amily unc ioning would be ela ed o lowe indi idual accomplishmen , he indings show a weak bu posi i e ela ionship. This inding is in line wi h he compensa o y model o wo k- amily ela ionships [15], whe eby indi iduals who expe ience amilial dys unc ion can compensa e o such ad e si y by pu ing mo e ene gy in o wo k success as a o m o alida ion. This could be in e p e ed as psychologis s who a e expe iencing dys unc ional amily ela ionships pu ing mo e e o in o hei wo k as a means o achie ing a sense o compe ence and success, e en i his comes a he expense o mo e emo ional exhaus ion and depe sonaliza ion. Al hough hese a e s ong associa ions, he o e all a iance accoun ed o by amily unc ioning in bu nou dimensions is limi ed, indica ing ha o he ac o s, including wo k en i onmen , coping, and pe sonal esilience, a e impo an con ibu o s o bu nou ou comes. This is consis en wi h he JD-R model, which sugges s ha job- ela ed and pe sonal esou ces (e.g., wo k suppo , sel -ca e s a egies) se e as bu e s o bu nou , while excessi e demands (e.g., amily pa hology, high caseloads) enable i . 4.2. Family Func ioning and Seconda y T auma ic S ess (STS) The s udy also iden i ied a signi ican posi i e ela ionship be ween seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) and amily dys unc ion, hus a i ming ea lie s udies ha demons a e how indi idual li e s esso s p edispose an indi idual o seconda y auma [16,17]. The spillo e heo y is a p agma ic pa adigm, assuming ha psychologis s wi h high le els o s ess in ol ing amily issues a e likely o be unable o con ol hei emo ional eac ions wi hin he wo k en i onmen , hus making hem ulne able o ica ious auma. Las ly, he Job Demands-Resou ces (JD-R) heo y assumes ha indi idual s esso s, such as dys unc ional amily li e, a e addi ional emo ional loads ha educe he coping abili y o psychologis s, hus making hem ulne able o dis ess ela ed o he wo k o counseling auma ized clien s [15]. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2799 4.3. Impac o P o essional Expe ience on Bu nou and Seconda y T auma ic S ess Among Psychologis s The cu en esea ch ocused on de e mining i he e a e signi ican di e ences in le els o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) be ween psychologis s wi h di e en p o essional expe ience le els. Two null hypo heses we e es ed: H₀₃, which a gued ha bu nou le els do no di e signi ican ly among di e en expe ience le els, and H₀₄, which hypo hesized ha le els o STS do no di e signi ican ly among he same expe ience le els. In e ms o bu nou , as assessed by i s h ee co e dimensions—Emo ional Exhaus ion (EE), Depe sonaliza ion (DP), and Pe sonal Accomplishmen (PA)— he indings showed ha he e we e no signi ican di e ences be ween g oups. The one-way ANOVA indings o EE, DP, and PA yielded non-signi ican F- alues, which indica ed ha yea s o expe ience had no signi ican in luence on any o he dimensions o bu nou among he psychologis s who pa icipa ed in he s udy. These indings sugges ha bu nou migh no be exclusi ely dependen on p o essional expe ience; ins ead, i migh be in luenced by a hos o ac o s such as o ganiza ional cul u e, in ensi y o wo kload, coping mechanisms, o indi idual di e ences in esilience and sel -ca e habi s. Simila ly, STS analysis e ealed no s a is ically signi ican di e ence in a ious le els o expe ience. Al hough Welch's ANOVA was used o accoun o he po en ial he e ogenei y o a iances, Le ene's es con i med ha he equal a iances assump ion was me , u he gua an eeing he obus ness o he indings. This inding implies ha he expe ience o isk o seconda y auma ic s ess is no necessa ily a unc ion o he yea s o se ice a psychologis has accumula ed. This could be a ibu ed o he pe asi e and unp edic able na u e o indi ec exposu e o auma in clinical se ings, which can hi p ac i ione s ega dless o he yea s o se ice. Toge he , hese esul s indica e p o essional expe ience is no a isk o p o ec i e ac o in and o i sel o seconda y auma ic s ess o bu nou . These esul s indica e o he a iables like caseload cha ac e is ics, suppo i e ne wo ks, in e nal coping s yles, and o ganiza ional capabili ies mus be conside ed when in es iga ing well-being among men al heal h p o essionals. Fu u e s udies migh be aided by he use o a b oade lens ha akes in o accoun bo h indi idual and o ganiza ional a iables as an a emp o be e iden i y wha causes o educes bu nou and STS in his popula ion. This s udy adds o he g owing co pus o li e a u e on he complex in e play be ween pe sonal and p o essional sou ces ha in luence he psychological well-being o men al heal h p o essionals. Acco ding o he Spillo e Theo y and he Job Demands-Resou ces (JD-R) model, he s udy highligh s he pi o al ole o amily unc ioning in he eme gence o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS) in psychologis s. Poo amily unc ioning was signi ican ly co ela ed wi h emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, and STS, hus demons a ing he ole o pe sonal li e s esso s in in luencing p o essional men al heal h ou comes. Mos in e es ingly, a mode a e posi i e co ela ion be ween poo amily unc ioning and pe sonal accomplishmen shows ha some indi iduals employ compensa o y mechanisms o gene a e pe sonal ul illmen om wo k in spi e o amily ad e si y. Con e sely, p o essional expe ience had no signi ican impac on bu nou o STS le els, and his indica es ha expe ience in i sel is no a bu e agains occupa ional s ess. These esul s con adic assump ions ha expe ience inhe en ly p epa es psychologis s o manage he emo ional demands o hei p o ession and ins ead indica e he necessi y o sys emic suppo , e ec i e coping, and wo k-li e balance s a egies i espec i e o ca ee s age. In conclusion, he s udy emphasizes he highes need o add ess he wo k and pe sonal li e ac o s in p e en ion in e en ions agains bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess in psychologis s. In e en ions aimed a enhancing amily unc ioning, o ganiza ional suppo , and indi idual esilience migh be e ec i e measu es in sa egua ding p ac i ione s' men al heal h. Fu u e esea ch should also keep a ocus on in eg a i e models ha add ess he in e ac ion be ween wo k demands, indi idual esou ces, and con ex ual ac o s o p esen a mo e holis ic iew o p o essional well-being in psychology. 4.4. Theo e ical Implica ions Theo e ically, his cu en s udy ex ends he Job Demands-Resou ces (JD-R) model by highligh ing he impo ance o amily unc ioning as an impo an pe sonal ac o ha bo h leads o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess (STS). Whe eas he con en ional JD-R model mainly ocuses on wo kplace demands and esou ces, he cu en esul s highligh why amily- ela ed s ess may be an o e looked bu impo an demand. The esul s also lend e idence o spillo e heo y, which suppo s ha s ess can spill o e om one a ea o li e o ano he , and hey also suppo he Conse a ion o Resou ces (COR) heo y, which main ains ha educed emo ional and psychological esou ces—due o amily- ela ed s ain—heigh en ulne abili y o occupa ional s ess. Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(01), 2792-2801 2800 4.5. P ac ical Implica ions P ac ically, he esul s p omp men al heal h o ganiza ions o ake psychologis s' amily con ex s in o accoun when de eloping wellness p og ams. Adjus men s o wo k schedules, a ailabili y o counseling se ices, and bounda y- se ing aining can assis p o essionals in juggling he compe ing expec a ions o hei occupa ional and amily esponsibili ies. Pee suppo and men o ship p og ams can p o ide sa e spaces whe e indi iduals can p ocess pe sonal and p o essional s esso s. O ganisa ions can also look a p o iding wo kshops in amily communica ion and s ess managemen , he eby unde sco ing he in e connec ion be ween occupa ional e ec i eness and amily heal h. Limi a ions The e a e limi a ions o his wo k. Due o he co ela ional na u e o he s udy, he indings indica e associa ions be ween a iables bu do no allow o conclusions abou causali y. Addi ionally, sel - epo in oduces bias. Fu u e s udies would be aluable employing longi udinal designs and mul iple sou ces o da a o con i m alidi y. Cul u al and p o essional speci ici y o he sample could also educe gene alizabili y. Finally, unmeasu ed a iables such as pe sonali y, coping, o suppo i e wo kplace may impac indings. Finally, while ela ions we e in es iga ed, e ec i eness o in e en ions was no measu ed, so di ec applica ion o p ac ice is uled ou . Recommenda ions o Fu u e Resea ch Longi udinal s udy designs should be employed in u u e s udies o cla i y causal pa hways be ween p o essional s ess and amily unc ioning. Fu u e s udies should also examine p o ec i e mechanisms like esilience, mind ulness, and o ganiza ional suppo o mo e e ec i ely de e mine wha insula es psychologis s agains bu nou and STS. C oss- cul u al esea ch would examine i hese esul s a e gene alizable o di e se socie al no ms. Since he disco e y o he nega i e co ela ion be ween amily dys unc ion and inc eased pe sonal accomplishmen is coun e in ui i e, u u e esea ch should in es iga e whe he his is a posi i e coping mechanism o a nega i e coping mechanism o o e compensa ion. Abo e all, in e en ion-based s udies need o e alua e he e ec i eness o wo kplace lexibili y, pee suppo p og ams, and amily-based p og ams o comba bu nou and STS in psychologis s. 5. Conclusion This s udy sheds ligh on he o en o e looked in luence o he pe sonal li e, i.e., amily ela ionships, o psychologis s on hei wo k- ela ed well-being. The indings indica e ha he amily unc ioning is no au onomous om wo k se ings; a he , i a ec s he psychologis s' concep ualiza ion o bu nou and seconda y auma ic s ess signi ican ly. I was con i med ha dys unc ional amily unc ioning p edic ed highe emo ional exhaus ion, depe sonaliza ion, and suscep ibili y o seconda y auma ic s ess and hus poin ed o he a ec ans e om he p i a e o he wo k li e. The weak posi i e co ela ion be ween amily dys unc ion and pe sonal achie emen ha has been obse ed implies ha indi iduals migh end up compensa ing o issues ha hey ace in hei home en i onmen by wo king ex a ha d in hei ca ee . Al hough such e o s migh p o ide a eeling o accomplishmen , hey end o co e up emo ional s ain. The esea ch also indica es ha hese e ec s con inue h oughou he a ious phases o one's ca ee , al hough younge psychologis s migh be pa icula ly suscep ible in some a eas, e.g., emo ional disengagemen . Th ough he in eg a ion o heo e ical models like he Job Demands-Resou ces model and spillo e heo y, his esea ch demons a es he necessi y o conside bo h wo k and amily condi ions when add essing bu nou and STS. These indings endo se a mo e in eg a ed app oach o psychologis s’ well-being, going beyond suppo wi hin he wo kplace o encompass he ole o pe sonal and amily li e. Fu u e esea ch and in e en ions need o con inue o examine hese in e aces, pa ing he way o mo e sus ainable ca ee s in he men al heal h ield. Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds Disclosu e o con lic o in e es No con lic o in e es o be disclosed. S a emen o in o med consen In o med consen was ob ained om all indi idual pa icipan s included in he s udy.