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!
Healing from Childhood Trauma
By: E.B. Johnson When you experience childhood trauma, your life and your soul are altered forever. Those who suffer loss, abuse or neglect early-on in life can often suffer from serious psychological and [...]
The Effects of Childhood Trauma
By Amy Morin, LCSW Although adults often say things like, “He was so young when that happened. He won’t even remember it as an adult,” childhood trauma can have a lifelong [...]
Oprah Reports on Childhood Trauma with Dr. Bruce Perry
By Amanda Merck Oprah Winfrey is raising awareness about childhood trauma and the need for trauma-informed care. Childhood trauma—like abuse, neglect, and poverty—changes a child’s brain, body and behavior. Behavior is often [...]
Healing Invisible Wounds: Art Therapy and PTSD
By Renée Fabian When I color during therapy, it creates a safe space for me to express painful feelings from my past. Coloring engages a different part of my brain that allows [...]
Integrating Mindfulness in Your Classroom Curriculum
By Giselle Shardlow Now more than ever, teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a necessity. Our children are stressed and anxious. Teachers and parents are stressed and anxious, too. Our lives are busy, [...]
The Long Shadow: Bruce Perry on the Lingering Effects of Childhood Trauma
By Jeanne Supin The “fight or flight” instinct has served the human species well, helping us respond quickly to threats, but according to child and adolescent psychiatrist and neuroscientist Bruce Perry it can [...]