Title: What is Vicarious Trauma | AHU Online
Headings: Vicarious Trauma: Information, Prevention and Resources
Vicarious Trauma: Information, Prevention and Resources
What Is Vicarious Trauma?
Examples of Vicarious Trauma
How to Identify Vicarious Trauma
How to Address Vicarious Trauma
Vicarious Trauma and the AHU Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Recommended Readings
Sources

Content: What is Vicarious Trauma | AHU Online
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Vicarious Trauma: Information, Prevention and Resources
November 12, 2019 | Category: Articles, Nursing
Leonie Harvey-Rolfe knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The 30-year-old was employed as the service coordinator for a community health center, where she worked closely with women who were the victims of “daily violence, abuse, poverty, homelessness, and addiction” as Refinery29 describes it. She didn’t exhibit any symptoms of stress, but she noticed her “threshold for what was shocking or risky had all but disappeared.” At first, she responded by taking on even more work despite the toll it was taking on her mental health because she felt that taking a break from her work would be a sign of weakness and failure. Eventually, her doctor prescribed 30 days off from work. Only after that long break did she realize the devastating impact of the vicarious trauma she felt. The lesson Harvey-Rolfe learned from her experience with vicarious trauma was how important it is for people who care for victims of trauma to take care of themselves as well. Healthcare providers are particularly susceptible to vicarious trauma, which is also called secondary trauma and secondary traumatic stress because those who are affected frequently work with people who are experiencing or have recently gone through a traumatic event.