International Online Survey Assessing Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions Among Youth Care (Para)Professionals in Flanders, Wallonia, France and The Netherlands. (2021_VUB_CFCSJ)

February 10, 2026 updated by: Vrije Universiteit Brussel

An International Study on the Professional Quality of Life of Youth Care Professionals

The goal of this observational study is to understand how work-related stress and personal characteristics affect the wellbeing of adults who work with children and young people in youth care services in Flanders, Wallonia, France and The Netherlands. The study focuses on three aspects of professional wellbeing: secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. These feelings can develop when people regularly support children and families who have experienced trauma. The study also looks at whether these experiences influence participants' intention to leave their job.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

  1. What are the levels of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among youth care (para)professionals?
  2. Which personal, work-related, and client-related factors raise or lower the risk of experiencing these outcomes?
  3. How do these wellbeing outcomes relate to participants' intention to leave their job?
  4. Do these outcomes differ between regions (Flanders, Wallonia, France, The Netherlands) and between types of youth care roles (professional vs. paraprofessional)?

Participants will complete an anonymous online survey that takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The survey asks about everyday work experiences, personal wellbeing, social support, workload, client characteristics, and professional quality of life. All answers are anonymous, and no identifying information (such as names or IP addresses) is collected.

There is no intervention and no comparison group; this study only collects information to better understand the wellbeing of youth care (para)professionals. The goal is to identify challenges and strengths in the sector and to support future prevention and intervention efforts that promote healthy, sustainable working conditions.

The study includes adults who work directly with children or adolescents in youth care settings, such as residential care workers, family support workers, foster care staff, foster carers and other caregiving professionals. People whose roles involve low likelihood of trauma exposure (such as prevention-focused services) are not included.

Ultimately, this research aims to help youth care organizations better support their workforce, reduce work-related stress, and improve continuity and quality of care for children and families.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

This observational study examines the professional quality of life of (para)professionals working in youth care services in Flanders, Wallonia, and France. Youth care providers are frequently exposed to the emotional and psychological impact of working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. This exposure may contribute to secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout, and variations in compassion satisfaction. These factors are collectively conceptualized under the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) model. Understanding the levels, predictors, and consequences of these outcomes is essential for safeguarding the wellbeing of the workforce and ensuring continuity and quality of youth care services.

The study uses an anonymous online survey developed in Qualtrics. The survey includes structured modules that assess personal factors (e.g., demographic characteristics, social support, financial strain, personality traits, self-care behaviors), work-related characteristics (e.g., workload, work-family conflict, organizational support, colleague support, job role, caseload, type of service), and client-related factors (e.g., client trauma exposure, case complexity, involvement with crisis cases, perceived overinvolvement with clients). These domains are followed by validated instruments measuring the primary outcomes: secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction, derived from the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-5). Turnover intention is assessed using items adapted from previous research in child welfare settings.

Data collection procedures ensure anonymity and confidentiality. IP tracking in Qualtrics is disabled, and no identifying information is stored. Data are downloaded from Qualtrics into a secure, password-protected SharePoint environment hosted by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Only authorized members of the research team have access to the dataset. After the response rate per organization is calculated, the variable identifying the participant's employing organization is deleted to prevent potential re-identification.

The statistical analysis plan includes a combination of descriptive and inferential approaches. Descriptive analyses summarize levels of STS, burnout, and compassion satisfaction across regions. Group comparisons between Flanders, Wallonia, France and The Netherlands are conducted using independent samples t-tests or ANOVA, depending on the number of comparison groups. Predictor analyses include Pearson correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA to identify variables associated with each outcome domain at the exploratory level. Subsequently, separate multiple linear regression models are conducted for burnout, STS, and compassion satisfaction, including predictors that showed relations at p ≤ .10 in preliminary analyses. Turnover intention is examined using hierarchical regression to determine whether STS, burnout, and compassion satisfaction explain additional variance beyond personal, work, and client factors. Differences in outcome levels across types of youth care roles (e.g., residential workers, family support workers, foster care staff) are evaluated using t-tests and ANOVA.

To ensure data quality, the dataset is screened for missing values, outliers, and inconsistencies before analysis. Cases with extensive missingness or extreme outliers may be removed. Analyses are performed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. The sample size target of approximately 3,000 participants allows for adequate statistical power to detect differences across subgroups and to estimate multivariable models with sufficient precision.

The study is conducted in accordance with ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. Data collection is entirely anonymous, and informed consent is obtained electronically prior to participation. Participants may complete the survey at their convenience, and the survey duration is approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Given the growing pressure on youth care systems and the increasing demand for services, understanding risk and protective factors that shape professional wellbeing is highly relevant. The findings of this study will contribute to developing prevention strategies, informing organizational support systems, and guiding policy decisions aimed at improving working conditions and reducing staff turnover. The results will be disseminated through scientific publications, master's theses, and a doctoral dissertation. National and regional research teams in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands will publish region-specific analyses as appropriate.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

4214

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Belgium
    • Brussels Capital
      • Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium, 1050
        • Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of adults working as (para)professionals in youth care services in Flanders, Wallonia, France, and The Netherlands. Participants are recruited from organizations that provide support, guidance, or protection to children and adolescents, including residential care facilities, family support services, foster care agencies, and other youth care settings. Recruitment occurs through collaboration with youth care organizations and universities in the participating regions. All participants complete a one-time anonymous online survey.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult (18 years or older).
  • Currently working as a (para)professional in youth care services.
  • Provides support or guidance to children or adolescents who are followed by a youth care organization in Flanders, Wallonia, France or The Netherlands.
  • Able to complete an online survey in Dutch or French.
  • Provides informed consent electronically.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Works in a youth care service where exposure to client trauma is unlikely (for example, services focused mainly on prevention).
  • Works with children or adolescents who are followed primarily due to a disability, without likelihood of trauma exposure.
  • Unable to complete the online survey independently.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Youth Care (Para)Professionals
This cohort consists of adults working as (para)professionals in youth care services in Flanders, Wallonia, France and The Netherlands. Participants share the common exposure of providing direct support to children and adolescents who may have experienced trauma. All participants complete a single, anonymous online survey assessing personal, work-related, and client-related factors as well as measures of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, compassion satisfaction, and turnover intention. No intervention is administered, and no follow-up occurs; the cohort represents a single cross-sectional observational group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Secondary Traumatic Stress Score on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5)
Time Frame: Day 1
Secondary traumatic stress will be measured using the Secondary Traumatic Stress subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-5). The scale produces a summed score ranging from 10 to 50, where higher scores indicate higher levels of secondary traumatic stress resulting from indirect exposure to others' trauma. Participants rate how often work-related experiences occurred in the past 30 days on a 5-point Likert scale.
Day 1
Burnout Score on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5)
Time Frame: Day 1
Burnout will be measured using the Burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-5). This subscale yields a total score between 10 and 50, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of work-related emotional and physical exhaustion. Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale based on the frequency of experiences during the past 30 days.
Day 1
Compassion Satisfaction Score on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5)
Time Frame: Day 1
Compassion satisfaction will be measured using the Compassion Satisfaction subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-5). Scores range from 10 to 50, with higher values indicating greater satisfaction and positive feelings derived from helping others in one's professional role. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale based on experiences in the past 30 days.
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Turnover Intention Score on the Turnover Intention Scale
Time Frame: Day 1
Turnover intention will be measured using items adapted from validated turnover intention scales used in child welfare research (e.g., Prost & Middleton, 2020). The measure assesses the participant's intention to leave their job or the child welfare field. Items are rated on a Likert scale, and scores are summed to produce a continuous value. Higher scores indicate a stronger intention to leave the profession. The expected score range depends on the number of included items, but higher values consistently reflect greater turnover intention.
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Collaborators

Universiteit Leiden

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Johan Vanderfaeillie, PhD, johan.vanderfaeillie@vub.be

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 6, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 3, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

October 3, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 3, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 10, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • B.U.N. 1432021000667

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. The study collects anonymous survey data through Qualtrics, without any identifying information or the ability to link responses to individuals. As described in the protocol, the data will be used exclusively for the purposes of this study and stored securely on a password-protected SharePoint environment of the VUB. Because the dataset contains anonymous responses and no plan for external IPD sharing was defined in the protocol, IPD cannot be made available.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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