Vicarious trauma is an occupational health and safety risk for employees in many private organisations and government departments. Vicarious trauma is a predictable response to work that involves engaging with other people’s trauma. Though the impact and cost of vicarious trauma is significant, organisational level prevention of vicarious trauma is not usually addressed in many workplaces.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU Victoria) successfully accessed funding from WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund to pilot vicarious trauma prevention in the Victorian Public Service. The project culminated in the development of the Preventing Vicarious Trauma website.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
Vicarious trauma is one concept used by clinical psychologists to describe the cumulative impact of empathetic engagement with other people’s trauma.
Vicarious trauma is similar to, but distinct from, related concepts such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress. Vicarious trauma is not a diagnosis by itself; it falls under the diagnostic criteria for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Vicarious trauma is an occupational health and safety risk for employees in many private organisations and government departments. Though the impact and cost of vicarious trauma is significant, organisational level prevention of vicarious trauma is not usually addressed in many workplaces.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
The primary cause of vicarious trauma is empathic engagement with traumatic content. Exposure to traumatic content comes in many forms. Most commonly, they will either hear it or read it in some form; however, depending on their role, some employees will also be exposed to audiovisual traumatic content.
However, other factors in the work environment also contribute to the likelihood that employees will experience vicarious trauma. Psychosocial hazards are factors in the work environment that may cause an employee to have a negative psychological response, increasing the likelihood of mental injury.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
There are three categories of workplace interventions for vicarious trauma: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary – also known as Proactive, Ameliorative and Reactive.
The most commonly utilised intervention used by organisations is Tertiary/Reactive, however the most effective prevention is Primary/Proactive, which aims to prevent work-related injuries by targeting the aspects of work that contribute to the risk of injury in the first place.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
Though employees aren’t responsible for preventing vicarious trauma, it can still be helpful to know things that you can do to mitigate the risk – and where to turn if you think work is negatively impacting your mental health. The resources below provide further information on vicarious trauma, and things that can help support you in your work.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
To strive for professional competency, capacity, and staff retention, vicarious trauma-informed organisations promote continuing education, professional development, and networking opportunities; provide thorough orientation and ongoing training; enable access to resources; and support staff participation in on- and offsite learning opportunities.
Organisations should develop trauma-informed processes, promote policies and implement practices that lessen the negative impact of the work; seek out and support staff following incidents; and conduct performance evaluations that include discussions of vicarious trauma.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
Vicarious trauma is an occupational health and safety issue.
In Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 includes psychological health under the definition of ‘health.’ As the risk of vicarious trauma is a risk to workers’ psychological health, preventing and responding to vicarious trauma therefore falls under the legislative framework of the Act.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
Great management and supervision can reduce the risk of vicarious trauma. It’s critical for managers and supervisors to have a solid understanding of vicarious trauma—what it is, what contributes to the risk, and what they can do to mitigate the risk for staff who engage with traumatic content at work.
To create vicarious trauma-informed organisations and fulfill their obligations to lessen the impact of vicarious trauma, managers and supervisors need to foster supportive relationships based on consultation, inclusivity, mutual respect and trust.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.
Vicarious trauma is an occupational health and safety risk for employees in many private organisations and government departments. The ability of an organisation to support staff and foster good work practices, starts at the top.
An organisational response to vicarious trauma requires vision, commitment, and a methodical approach that starts with laying a foundation and builds from there.
Supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund.