Vicarious traumatisation: risk and resilience among crisis support volunteers in a community organisation

Abstract

This study aims to understand the risks of vicarious trauma and possibilities of resilience among volunteers at an organisation that supports survivors of intimate-partner violence. The analysis identifies the dynamics of the organisation and the risk of vicarious traumatisation that the volunteers faced. The participants explored the personal self-care techniques they found effective and the organisational support available. The findings indicate that there was some degree of recognition of the risk by individual support workers, and also some attempts by the organisation to offer support, but these were undermined by a prevailing stigma among volunteers associated with admitting and showing vulnerability and inadequacy. Such denialism has a negative impact on both volunteers and organisational support structures, and also indirectly affects the clients seeking support. This analysis supports the importance of dealing with vicarious traumatisation in the training of volunteers and makes recommendations for the ongoing functioning of organisations, in order to facilitate effective recognition, non-stigmatised acceptance, and management of vicarious traumatisation among crisis support workers.

The cost of caring: secondary traumatic stress and burnout among lay trauma counsellors in the Western Cape Province

“…In contrast to STS, burnout is related to aspects of the organization including limited supervisory support, high workload, and few established relationships with colleagues rather than with the impact of working with traumatized people (Kulkarni et al, 2013; Lim et al, 2010). The occurrence of high burnout in the current sample may potentially be related to characteristics of their work environment including high workloads and limited supervisory and other forms of support (Howlett & Collins, 2014).…”

“…It typically involves training in basic counselling skill (Dewing et al, 2015). With regard to trauma counselling, lay trauma counsellors are frontline responders and the first point of contact for individuals from community settings who have experienced a traumatic event (Howlett & Collins, 2014). Unlike professional mental healthcare providers (e.g., psychologists), lay trauma counsellors are tasked with focusing solely on the traumatic event with the aim of restoring pre-trauma functioning (Howlett & Collins, 2014).…”

“…With regard to trauma counselling, lay trauma counsellors are frontline responders and the first point of contact for individuals from community settings who have experienced a traumatic event (Howlett & Collins, 2014). Unlike professional mental healthcare providers (e.g., psychologists), lay trauma counsellors are tasked with focusing solely on the traumatic event with the aim of restoring pre-trauma functioning (Howlett & Collins, 2014). Given the central role of lay trauma counsellors in mental healthcare service provision in South Africa and other developing countries, assessing their emotional well-being and the extent to which they derive satisfaction from their work is important.…”

“…In a study of lay HIV counsellors, Peltzer et al (2014) found that STS (51.4%) and burnout (10.4%) were common. Howlett and Collins (2014) in a qualitative study of lay counsellors working with victims of domestic violence reported that symptoms of STS were experienced by these workers. Studies conducted in other developing countries (Uganda: Ager et al, 2012; India: Shah et al, 2007) have confirmed that lay counsellors in these settings are particularly vulnerable to STS and burnout as a consequence of their work.…”

Rutas y colisiones en el trabajo de atención a las mujeres víctimas de violencia en España

“…Esta experiência profissional de acolhimento dos casos de violência pode causar sentimento de impotência, raiva, frustração e confusão nos prestadores deste tipo de serviço (Howlett & Collins, 2014;Penso et al, 2010;Vieira & Hasse, 2017). Sabe-se que há uma base biológica para compreensão deste fenômeno através dos neurônios espelho em que o cérebro ativa e reflete a emoção do interlocutor modificando-a em uma vivência própria e interna (Oliver, Albornoz, & López, 2011).…”