Secondary traumatization
Secondary traumatization refers to the impact of indirect exposure to traumatic experiences; effects which can be disruptive and painful and can persist for months or years. The effects in relation to working directly with clients, are considered to be a usual response which results from witnessing a distressing traumatic event or from knowledge about such an event, particularly if the person is connected with the victim-survivor.
In terms of consequences, psychological symptoms are similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder acquired through contact with people suffering from the effects of trauma. Thus, workers may experience negative consequences such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, intrusive thoughts, maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., increased use of psychotropic substances), and negative emotions such as anger and feelings of inadequacy. In addition, secondary trauma can impact resilience and affect worker performance: e.g., decreased effectiveness of intervention with patients/clients/citizens, etc., inability to express negative feelings through denial of difficulties at work, emotional withdrawal that can impact emotional (relatives, friends) and social (colleagues, supervisors) environments.
Williamson, E., Gregory, A., Abrahams, H., Aghtaie, N., Walker, S., & Hester, M. (2020). Secondary trauma: Emotional safety in sensitive research. Journal of Academic Ethics, 18(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-019-09348-y
Maran, D. A., Dolce, V., & Colombo, L. (2023). Editorial: Secondary traumatic stress: Risk factors, consequences, and coping strategies. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1148186. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148186