By Heather C. Forkey, MD, Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH, and Luanne Thorndyke, MD
Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is the emotional duress caused by indirect exposure to distressing events experienced by others. Health care providers and caregivers are particularly susceptible to secondary stress due to regular exposure to difficult and painful clinical situations that evoke intrinsic empathy necessary to provide effective care. Understanding STS as a normal stress response not only helps to make sense of the symptoms but also suggests a way forward. Opportunities for those in health care to address STS can be found among our colleagues and in our own settings and may provide a meaningful source of support if accessed effectively.
Share This Post!
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events
By National Institute of Mental Health Every year, children and adolescents experience disasters and other traumatic events. Family, friends, and trusted adults play an essential role in helping youth cope with [...]
The Link Between ADHD and Trauma
By Medical News Today Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that often begins in childhood. Studies have found that trauma occurring in childhood may exacerbate or predict [...]
5 Reasons Why We Blame Ourselves After Trauma
By Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS As a therapist who works with survivors of childhood trauma, I find that self-blame is a common part of their experience. As a survivor myself, I experience [...]
Child-Parent Psychotherapy Resources
By University of California, San Francisco Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention model for children aged 0-5 who have experienced at least one traumatic event (e.g. maltreatment, the sudden or traumatic [...]
Caring for Caregivers Experiencing Secondary Trauma
By Heather C. Forkey, MD, Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH, and Luanne Thorndyke, MD Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is the emotional duress caused by indirect exposure to distressing events experienced by others. [...]
How to Talk About Mental Health
By SAMHSA Mental health is essential to a person’s life in the same way as physical health. Hesitation to talk about mental health adds to the notion that the topic is [...]