The impact of trauma work on trauma workers: A metasynthesis on vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth

摘要

The current study examines the impact that trauma work has on those who are working with traumatized clients, within the framework of both vicarious trauma (VT) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG), by using a metasynthesis of findings from 20 published qualitative articles. The synthesis found that the impact of trauma work can potentially increase short- and long-term levels of distress and that such psychological impact can be managed through personal and organizational coping strategies. Nevertheless, it also highlighted that distress does not necessarily preclude growth. Furthermore, it was found that trauma work leads to changes in schemas and day-to-day routines and that these changes can be both negative and positive, implying a nonbinary view of the impact of trauma work. The schematic changes correspond to both VT and VPTG, but for VPTG to occur, trauma workers will need to be exposed to the client's own growth.