Exploring the Mental Health Concerns of Advocates Working With Sexually Exploited Youth

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Gifford, Hannah

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2024

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Burnout , Sexually Exploited Youth

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Job stress and fatigue can lead to employees burning out, especially for those working with children as youth advocates and case managers. This then causes disruptions in vital services being provided to clients (He et al., 2018; Orsi-Hunt et al., 2023). Unfortunately, 64% of child welfare workers have reported burnout symptoms across multiple studies (Baugerud et al., 2018; Leake et al., 2017). Research on burnout suggests advocates and case managers working with child exploitation investigators (Brady, 2017), and those working with sex-trafficking victims (Schwartz, 2021), may be at a higher risk for developing burnout. However, little research has explored individual burnout symptoms in advocates and case workers working with sexually exploited youth. This exploratory study will aim to answer the following questions: (a) What are some signs of burnout that youth advocates and case managers experience? (b) What coping strategies do youth advocates and case managers use to manage everyday stressors in their work environments? (c) What resources or advice do youth advocates and case managers perceive as being most useful for addressing burnout? Convenience and snowball sampling were used to collect data from advocates and case managers working with sexually exploited youth. This study found burnout to be a common theme experienced by individuals working with this unique population. Advocates and case managers express coping strategies that help them tackle burnout, along with resources that will benefit themselves and co-workers from burnout.

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