Psychological Effects of Professional Exposure to Trauma and Human Suffering: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Over the past decades, a growing interest has emerged toward understanding the impact that the exposure to human suffering produces in mental health professionals, leading to the identification of three constructs: vicarious traumatization (VT), compassion fatigue (CF), and secondary trauma (ST). However, little is known about how these conditions affect psychologists. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted to examine the evidence about the effects of occupational exposure to trauma and suffering in studies that included psychologists among their samples. Fifty-two studies were included comprising 10,233 participants. Overall, the results showed that most professionals did not experience relevant distress due to their work, yet some of them developed clinically significant symptoms (i.e., PTSD). However, solid conclusions could not be drawn due to the numerous methodological difficulties found in this research field (i.e., group heterogeneity, lack of comparison groups, and conceptual overlap). Thus, it is necessary to further investigate this topic with scientific rigor to understand these stressors and develop evidence-based interventions.

The positive and negative effects of working with child sexual abuse for health and social care professionals: A systematic review

“…These findings are in accordance with previous research focusing on outcomes for participants working with trauma survivors (Sui & Padmanabhanunni, 2016). However, these findings are not consistent with a systematic review exploring the psychological effects of working with trauma survivors for psychologists (Velasco et al, 2022). Additionally, the current systematic review found three studies reported positive personal outcomes for participants due to CSA work.…”

The Mediating Role of Resilience Between Vicarious Trauma, Compassion Fatigue and Moral Injury of Nurses in Saudi Arabia: A Structural Equation Model

“…This relationship holds true even when accounting for participant diversity including gender, experience, professional category, unit assignment, country, and population type receiving care [49]. As a result, nurses often see patients in pain and suffering, which can impact their mental, physical, and social well-being [50].…”

Learning to teach with patients and caregivers: a focused ethnography

“…Although there is a lack of studies evaluating these skills in healthcare professionals, it has been shown that writing exercises promote learning transformation, normalise emotions, create critical self-awareness, and provide a safe, non-judgemental space for students to reflect on their practice and learning [32,33]. Time management and emotional impact should to be considered in the design of this educational activity, as excessive and prolonged exposure to human suffering can cause distress in healthcare professionals [34].…”