Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth as a Coping Strategy Due to Indirect Trauma at Work Among Community Health Workers in the Limpopo Province of South Africa
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential in providing primary health care, especially the low and middle-income countries that have limited access to formal medical services. However, the nature of their work frequently exposes them to indirect trauma, which can impact their psychological well-being. Although existing research has investigated the overall experiences of CHWs, there has been little attention on focusing on their coping strategies and the possibility of post-traumatic growth (PTG) as a means for enhancing resilience. This study aimed to examine how CHWs in Limpopo Province navigate the psychological impact of indirect trauma and the strategies they use to manage these challenges. The study employed a qualitative research approach, with 14 Community Health Workers (CHWs) selected through purposive sampling, with data gathered through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified four key themes: (1) the Psychological Impact of Indirect Trauma, (2) Coping Mechanisms Employed by CHWs, (3) The Role of Post-Traumatic Growth as a Coping Strategy, and (4) Barriers to Post-Traumatic growth. The findings indicate that most community health workers have limited access to professional support despite the emotional challenges they experience. Instead, they rely on informal coping mechanisms such as peer support, faith-based practices, and personal resilience. The study emphasizes the important requirement and urgent need to develop a support system that is tailored to the unique challenges they face in their workplace. These findings advocate for policy-level interventions to strengthen the community health workers' support system, which ultimately promotes sustainability and efficient healthcare service delivery in South Africa.
Author: Maanda, Tendani Prudence
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220786441