Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale – STSS
Measures the frequency of secondary traumatic stress symptoms in helping professionals working with traumatized populations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale – STSS was developed by Brian E. Bride, Mark R. Robinson, Bonnie Yegidis, & Charles R. Figley (2004). It is designed to measure Secondary Traumatic Stress. The scale is intended for use with Helping professionals (e.g., social workers, therapists, healthcare workers).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Intrusion, Avoidance, Arousal.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Intrusion | 2,3,6,10,13 | 5 |
| Avoidance | 1,5,7,9,12,14,17 | 7 |
| Arousal | 4,8,11,15,16 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Occasionally, 4 = Often, 5 = Very Often.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 17 to 85. Interpretation guidelines:
- Little or no secondary traumatic stress: 17 – 27
- Mild secondary traumatic stress: 28 – 37
- Moderate secondary traumatic stress: 38 – 48
- Severe secondary traumatic stress: 49 – 85
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Intrusion (0.80), Avoidance (0.87), Arousal (0.83).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.