Although the organizational and professional variables that have an impact on the psychological adjustment of mental health professionals are well known, there is limited evidence of the individual factors playing a role in the development of secondary traumatic stress. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of personal trauma history, self-compassion, and emotional intelligence on secondary traumatic stress symptoms among mental health professionals. A cross-sectional study with 155 mental health professionals who work with traumatized clients was conducted in Turkey. The data collected by Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF), Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) were analyzed using hierarchical regression. The study results showed that personal trauma history predicted a higher risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress. Emotional intelligence and self-compassion were negative predictors of stress symptoms. According to the findings of the current study, self-compassion and emotional intelligence play a protective role in the development of secondary traumatic stress.
