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quality of life associated with RHD positions. One concern related to a director's work
is the stress created by the difficulty of maintaining boundaries between their personal
and professional lives. RHDs often cite the difficulty of living in what some refer to as
a fishbowl, which is caused by the lack of privacy that comes with living where they
work (Scheuermann & Ellett, 2007). Furthermore, in the case of emergencies, these
directors informally function as crisis managers and helpers, whether that crisis relates
to the building or the people within it. In these situations, many student affairs
professionals " are frequently placed in the roles of helpers, and many students rely on
them for compassion, support, and guidance " (Reynolds, 2010, p. 410). RHDs have
complicated roles that require many different interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to
be successful. Because they serve on call when most campus offices are closed, RHDs
also often serve as the de facto manager of multiple crisis situations, including racially
motivated incidents, sexual violence, suicidal behavior, substance abuse, and natural
disasters (Blimling, 2015; Lynch & Glass, 2019).
SECONDARY TRAUMA IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESIDENCE LIFE
Vicarious or Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is defined as " the stress resulting from
helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person " (Figley, 1999, p. 10),
and symptoms often appear similar to those of the trauma experienced by the originating
individual (Evans, 2020; Jenkins & Baird, 2002). Even though the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V does not explicitly name secondary traumatic
stress as a diagnosis, the effects-intrusion, avoidance, negative change in cognition
and mood, and change in arousal-are described in the criteria for Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (Lynch & Glass, 2019).
Within the last decade, as the mental health of housing and residence life professionals
has come into sharp focus, more studies have explored the effects of STS on individuals
within a higher education context (e.g., Lynch, 2017, 2019; Lynch & Glass, 2019).
Based on the experiences of 208 resident assistants, Lynch (2017) developed a scale that
measures four different dimensions of STS: " changes in arousal and activity . . . negative
alteration of mood or cognition . . . avoidance. . . [and] intrusive thoughts " (pp. 18-19).
However, little research has been conducted on how the caregiver and support role of
an RHD affects them personally and how these experiences contribute to their attrition.
Lynch (2019) found that exposure to students' trauma affected RAs themselves.
Extant research has not yet extended exclusively to the RHD role and how these professionals
are affected by working with an RA going through their own trauma. Within
other helping professions, such as counselor education and social work, studies have
shown that being repeatedly exposed to people experiencing mental health challenges
can negatively affect the person trying to support the individual (Fleet & Mintz, 2013;
Hydon et al., 2015). Fleet and Mintz (2013) studied the effects of client suicidal behavior
on counselors and found that they had significant emotional responses to the
self-harm behavior of their clients, including sadness, anxiety, shock, and anger. In addition,
they found that counselors struggled through these emotions in the counseling
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