Boulder Crest, Abilene Christian seek participants for trauma-work growth study

Boulder Crest and Abilene Christian University are recruiting adults for a new study on vicarious posttraumatic growth among professionals who regularly work with trauma and adversity. The research aims to better understand both the strain and the potential for positive psychological change in fields including healthcare, education, first response and mental health.

Why it matters: - Professionals who work with trauma can face burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. - The new study asks whether that same work can also produce vicarious posttraumatic growth, or positive psychological change through helping others. - The research could broaden how employers, clinicians and researchers understand the impact of trauma-related work.

What happened: - Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, the research and innovation arm of Boulder Crest Foundation, and Abilene Christian University’s Department of Psychology are seeking participants for a new study. - The study focuses on vicarious posttraumatic growth, or VPTG, among professionals who work closely with people facing trauma and adversity. - The recruitment effort targets adults across multiple fields, not just mental health professionals.

The details: - VPTG describes positive psychological changes that may emerge through empathetic engagement with people who have experienced trauma, adversity or major life challenges. - The concept differs from posttraumatic growth, which refers to positive change that can follow a person’s own trauma. - The study will look at both challenges and possible benefits associated with trauma-related work. - A 2025 qualitative study led by Dr. Taryn Greene with Abilene Christian University’s Dr. Joshua Rhodes and Baylor University’s Dr. Gary Elkins and Dr. Skyla Renner-Wilms found vicarious growth among peer-support specialists. - That earlier work identified experiences that mirrored the five domains of posttraumatic growth and pointed to greater well-being and purpose. - The new study seeks a wider view across more professions and settings. - Eligible participants must be 18 or older. - Eligible participants must work in a role that brings regular exposure to the experiences, stories or aftermath of trauma, adversity or significant life challenges. - Targeted fields include healthcare, mental health, peer support, first response, education, nonprofit organizations, academic and research institutions, chaplaincy and faith-based services, the military and government. - Participation involves one online Qualtrics survey that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. - The survey asks about challenges, resilience and growth in work with people affected by trauma or adversity. - Participants do not need to have experienced VPTG to take part. - Eligible professionals can learn more and access the survey here. - Boulder Crest Foundation describes itself as the Home of Posttraumatic Growth and a global leader in PTG-based programs. - Boulder Crest Foundation says its programs help veterans, service members, first responders and their families transform struggle into strength. - The Boulder Crest Institute advances PTG through research, education and professional training.

Between the lines: - The study reflects a shift from focusing only on the harms of trauma exposure to also examining possible gains. - That framing may help researchers capture a more complete picture of what trauma-related work does to professionals over time. - Dr. Taryn Greene said the goal is to understand the full range of experiences among people who do this work every day.

What's next: - Boulder Crest and Abilene Christian University will collect survey responses from eligible professionals. - The results could help build the scientific base around vicarious posttraumatic growth across more occupations. - Researchers aim to use the findings to better understand how distress and growth can coexist in trauma-related careers.

The bottom line: - Boulder Crest is betting that the story of trauma work is not only about cost, but also about possible personal growth.