Spring 2011: Brian E. Bride, PhD, LCSW

As the field of traumatology has grown, it has become increasingly apparent that the effects of psychological trauma extend beyond those that directly experience traumatic events. Secondary traumatic stress is one of several terms used to refer to the negative impact of traumatic events on those who care for traumatized persons. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the phenomenon of secondary traumatic stress (STS). The presentation will begin with a discussion of conceptual issues that arise when talking about and researching STS. Next, an overview of current research on prevalence, risk and protective factors, and the impact of STS will be provided. Further, implications and recommendation for the prevention and reduction of STS will be discussed. 

Brian E. Bride, PhD, LCSW, is currently associate professor and interim director of the PhD Program in the School of Social Work and a Fellow of the Institute for Behavioral Research at the University of Georgia, where he has previously served as MSW program director and interim associate dean.

Bride received a BS in Psychology from the University of Florida, a MSW from Florida State University and a PhD from the University of Georgia and has 20 years of clinical and consulting experience in mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

His research and teaching focuses on mental health and substance abuse services for specialized populations, including women, older adults, persons living with HIV/AIDS, persons with co-occurring disorders and trauma survivors. He has published three books and more than 40 journal articles in the areas of mental health, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS and was recently named editor-elect of Traumatology: An International Journal. He is a widely recognized expert on the topic secondary traumatic stress, having written and presented extensively on the topic. He is the developer of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, a widely used instrument used to measure secondary traumatic stress and was recently awarded a five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the adoption of trauma-focused services in substance abuse treatment and secondary traumatic stress among substance abuse counselors.

In April, the University of Georgia will award Bride with the Creative Research Medal in recognition of his innovative research on the topic of secondary traumatic stress.