Secondary Trauma: Definition, Symptoms, & How to Cope

What Is Secondary Trauma?

Secondary trauma (second-hand trauma) can occur after exposure to distressing details of trauma experienced by others.³ Those with secondary traumatic stress (STS) exhibit at least some symptoms commonly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A small proportion of these individuals will experience full-blown PTSD as a result of secondary trauma exposure.³

Vicarious Trauma Vs. Secondary Trauma

These terms are often used interchangeably to describe the impacts of trauma on helping professionals. Vicarious trauma is often used to describe a helper’s inner experience, such as changes in their beliefs about spirituality, their mindset or their worldview. Secondary trauma is often used to describe PTSD symptoms including hypervigilance, avoidance or re-experiencing.

Secondary Trauma Vs. Compassion Fatigue

While compassion fatigue often occurs alongside secondary trauma, it is often characterized by an increased feeling of apathy or emotional detachment. A person with compassion fatigue may feel emotionally exhausted and find it harder to empathize with the people they are helping.

Secondary Trauma Symptoms

The symptoms of secondary trauma are almost identical to symptoms of PTSD. Helping professionals who work with trauma survivors can develop their own symptoms as the result of the traumatic stories and experiences they’re exposed to in their work.

Symptoms of secondary traumatic stress may include:

• Flashbacks
• Intrusive memories
• Intrusive thoughts
• Emotional detachment or numbness
• Hypervigilance
• Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
• Changes in mood
• Difficulty functioning in daily life
• Increased anger
• Feelings of hopelessness

Causes of Secondary Traumatic Stress

Secondary traumatic stress occurs when a person witnesses or hears about a trauma that happened to another person directly. This includes hearing stories of abuse, assault, accidents or disasters. Hearing or witnessing these results on a regular basis in the workplace can increase the risk of secondary trauma.

Potential causes of secondary traumatic stress are:

• Sexual assault
• Physical assault
• Child abuse or neglect
• Motor vehicle accident
• Act of nature (e.g., flood, hurricane, tornado)
• Terrorist attack
• Torture
• War atrocities
• A violent or gruesome death

Who Experiences Secondary Trauma?

Anyone who witnesses or hears about a traumatic event can experience the symptoms of secondary trauma. This could include a friend or loved one, bystanders, or any number of helping professionals who come to the aid of people who have been traumatized. The more a person is exposed to these events, the greater their risk of secondary trauma.

First Responders

Paramedics, police officers, and firefighters are often first on the scene of traumatic events, where they encounter associated distressing details, images, and sounds. In some cases, only one particularly impactful event can result in a secondary trauma or PTSD response. The general prevalence rate of STS among first responders is between 4-13%.⁸

Nurses & Physicians

Medical professionals, particularly in emergency room settings, witness the physical effects of trauma firsthand. They are often faced with stressful and demanding situations in which they have to make critical decisions that impact whether a person survives. They are exposed to high stress situations and severe injuries on a regular basis.

Mental Health Professionals

Therapists and other mental health professionals often work with people who have directly experienced trauma. They listen to their clients’ stories and witness their healing process.  This is powerful and rewarding work, but many therapists face a time when the secondary trauma becomes too much and they start to experience symptoms of secondary trauma.

Child Protection Workers

Professionals who work for child protective services are often faced with difficult cases involving the abuse or neglect of a child. Their work can sometimes take them into unsafe and volatile situations, placing them at risk for secondary trauma and compassion fatigue.

Children of Traumatized Parents

Children who hear the graphic details of parental traumatic experiences can experience STS, with some receiving a PTSD diagnosis for severe symptoms.³ Secondary trauma can sometimes overlap with intergenerational trauma, as seen with the Holocaust and Indigenous peoples.

Loved Ones of Traumatized Individuals

People whose loved ones experience trauma often report intrusive thoughts and images of their loved one’s experiences. They may report feelings of helplessness and powerlessness due to their inability to take away the pain.

BIPOC Communities

People in marginalized communities are at greater risk of secondary trauma due to systemic, social, and historical factors. Many people in BIPOC communities have faced violence, discrimination or systemic oppression. These repeated traumatic events can affect people for generations. There is also ongoing exposure to discrimination and violence including the frequent witnessing of traumatic events in the media.