Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), sometimes referred to as Vicarious Trauma (VT), is a secondary trauma that results from indirect exposure to trauma. Dr. Charles Figley, Director of the award-winning Traumatology Institute and founding editor of the Journal of Traumatic Stress, submits that Secondary Traumatic Stress is “the natural consequent behaviors resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other. It is the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.”[1]

Burnout has many shared core causes and symptoms of secondary trauma. However, burnout differs from secondary trauma in that exposure to clients’ trauma is not the precipitating factor. Burnout results from long-term exposure to work environments wherein support may be minimal, and the demand is ever-increasing. Research has gathered the features of emotional exhaustion, diminished job performance, and an increasingly pessimistic view of the workplace and clientele to be associated with Burnout.[2]

Compassion Fatigue is a term that has often been used as a more user-friendly substitute for secondary traumatic stress. However, Compassion fatigue is described as an acute, affective phenomenon that engenders high levels of stress for caregivers and in which caregivers’ symptoms parallel those of the original trauma victim’s experience.[3]

[1] Jason T. Hotchkiss and Ruth Lesher, "Factors Predicting Burnout among Chaplains: Compassion Satisfaction, Organizational Factors, and the Mediators of Mindful Self-Care and Secondary Traumatic Stress," Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 72, no. 2 (2018/06/01 2018), accessed 2023/11/11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1542305018780655.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Rachel S. Rauvola, Dulce M. Vega, and Kristi N. Lavigne, "Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Vicarious Traumatization: A Qualitative Review and Research Agenda," Occupational Health Science 3, no. 3 (Sep 2019
2024-02-28 2019), http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-019-00045-1.


Bibliography 

Hotchkiss, Jason T. and Ruth Lesher. "Factors Predicting Burnout among Chaplains: Compassion Satisfaction, Organizational Factors, and the Mediators of Mindful Self-Care and Secondary Traumatic Stress." Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 72, no. 2 (2018/06/01 2018): 86-98. Accessed 2023/11/11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1542305018780655.

Rauvola, Rachel S., Dulce M. Vega, and Kristi N. Lavigne. "Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Vicarious Traumatization: A Qualitative Review and Research Agenda." Occupational Health Science 3, no. 3 (Sep 2019/2024-02-28 2019): 297-336. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-019-00045-1.

 Music: 

There is a Light (instrumental version)
Artist: Stonekeepers (Courtesy of Epidemic Sound)

Steps To Mindfulness
Artist: Calm Shores (Courtesy of Epidemic Sound)