An Exploration of How Medication-Assisted Treatment Employees Respond to Stress in Justice Settings

Individuals who work in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs that serve justice-involved populations face challenging conditions that can cause elevated levels of stress. Although some studies focus on stress faced by MAT professionals, few examine their coping mechanisms. This study applies the Mayo Clinic's "4A's" of stress management-accept, adapt, avoid, and alter-to better understand ways medical staff working in MAT programs manage stress. The research team used NVivo software to analyze original qualitative data from 83 MAT employees servicing justice-involved populations. The 4A's framework successfully applies to the MAT employee context. Specifically, respondents relied on the stress management techniques accept and adapt more often than avoid and alter. Descriptive demographic trends were found in the data, including Black females most often reporting they accept and adapt to stress at work. In contrast, White females chose acceptance over other management tactics, although they also reported avoidance more than other groups. MAT organizations should empower employees to amend stressors to improve personal and professional outcomes. Future studies should use qualitative and quantitative methods to examine stress in industries with compounding stressors, such as MAT professionals working in justice settings.