Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care for Social Work Students During Field Practicum (TIESC)

Participants in this arm will receive the standard university internship orientation and routine field practicum activities in addition to two study-specific behavioral interventions: a 2-hour Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Psychoeducational Workshop and three structured 60-minute Self-Help and Peer-Sharing Group Sessions conducted during the field practicum.

Participants in the intervention arm will receive a 2-hour interactive psychoeducational workshop before or at the beginning of field practicum. The workshop covers trauma-informed practice, the nature and indirect effects of trauma, recognition of physiological and emotional stress responses, secondary traumatic stress, stress-management strategies, breathing and grounding exercises, cognitive flexibility, professional boundaries, and self-care strategies.

Participants in the intervention arm will participate in three structured 60-minute small-group sessions conducted during the field practicum. The sessions provide a facilitated and psychologically safe environment in which participants can reflect on emotionally challenging field experiences, discuss the emotional impact of difficult cases, receive peer support, review self-care practices, and reinforce coping and emotional regulation strategies.

Participants in this arm will continue their routine field practicum and receive the standard academic internship orientation provided by the university. They will not receive either of the study-specific behavioral interventions during the study evaluation period. After completion of all study assessments, participants may receive the educational module and a digital Trauma-Informed Self-Care Guide upon request.

Secondary traumatic stress will be assessed using the 17-item Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. Each item is rated on a five-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 17 to 85, with higher scores indicating greater secondary traumatic stress and therefore a worse outcome.

The scale will be administered at baseline and at three follow-up assessments during the field practicum. The primary outcome will be the change in Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale total scores over time and the difference in this change between the intervention and control groups.

Psychological resilience will be assessed using the 9-item Turkish version of the Resilience Evaluation Scale. Total scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater psychological resilience and therefore a better outcome.

The scale will be administered at baseline and at three follow-up assessments during the field practicum. Changes in Resilience Evaluation Scale total scores over time will be compared between the intervention and control groups.

Trauma-informed education and self-care-related knowledge and skills will be assessed using the researcher-developed Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care Intervention Module Knowledge and Skills Assessment Form.

Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge and skills related to trauma-informed practice, recognition of secondary traumatic stress, coping strategies, and self-care, and therefore a better outcome.

This assessment will be administered only to participants in the intervention group immediately after completion of the initial two-hour Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care training session. The measure is intended to assess participants' knowledge and skill acquisition following the initial educational intervention.