Vicarious Trauma in Mental Health

Vicarious Trauma

• Overlaps with concepts of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue
• Involves a more enduring stress response mirroring the effects of trauma
• Can be indirectly experienced through exposure to clients' stories of trauma and cumulative stress associated with working with trauma-affected clients

Vulnerability to Vicarious Trauma

• A range of variables can increase a person's risk of experiencing VT
• Not a result of personal weakness, but a risk faced by anyone exposed to severe or cumulative trauma associated with their work

AOD Services and Trauma

• AOD services see PTSD as a mental health problem
• Clients may bounce back and forth between services, and the underlying cause may never be addressed
• Interdependent relationship between trauma and AOD disorders means both should be treated concurrently

Barriers to Accurate Identification and Treatment of Trauma

• Majority of AOD services do not systematically screen for exposure to trauma or PTSD symptoms
• Reluctance amongst AOD service workers to ask about trauma
• Clients may not disclose trauma, leading to inadequate treatment and poor outcomes

Relationship between Trauma and AOD Use

• Self-medication hypothesis: AOD can give relief from unpleasant trauma-related thoughts and feelings, but perpetuates and exacerbates high levels of arousal
• High-risk hypothesis: Lifestyle associated with AOD use increases the person's risk of experiencing trauma

Responses to Trauma

• Negative alterations in thinking and mood, such as problems with memory, negative thoughts, and strong emotions
• Alterations in arousal and reactivity, such as hyperarousal, hypervigilance, irritability, and poor concentration

Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

• People who have experienced complex trauma are at risk of developing CPTSD
• Characterized by severe and persistent problems in emotion regulation, beliefs about oneself, and difficulties in sustaining relationships

Vulnerable Populations and Cultural Differences

• People who belong to a cultural group that has faced disempowerment, poverty, and discrimination are more likely to experience traumatic events
• Growing up in conditions of chronic stress and adversity can make it more difficult to cope with traumatic events

Coping Mechanisms

• Avoidance behaviors, such as reassurance seeking, distraction, and suppression
• Maladaptive behaviors, such as substance abuse, gambling, and self-isolation
• Avoidance does not work, as it reinforces fear and intolerable emotions, leading to more unpleasant side effects

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)

• Focuses on trustworthiness, choice, empowerment, collaboration, and safety
• Emphasizes understanding trauma impact and meeting the needs of trauma survivors
• Shifts from "what is wrong with you?" to "what happened to you?" and "how did you cope?"
• Strengths-based, non-judgmental, and compassionate approaches are integral to TIC

Trauma Focused Treatment for Concurrent PTSD and AOD Disorders

• Trauma-focused treatment is necessary for concurrent PTSD and AOD disorders

This quiz assesses understanding of vicarious trauma, a concept that overlaps with burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, and its effects on mental health professionals.