Signs & Symptoms
STS mimics symptoms of this disorder.
What is PTSD?
This workplace issue involves having too many clients and not enough time.
What is high caseload?
This prevention strategy involves using time effectively to organize and prioritize work tasks.
What is time management?
A staff member begins stepping back from responsibilities and interacting less with others at work.
What is withdrawal from others or avoiding responsibilities?
This group of warning signs can include physical, emotional, and behavioral changes.
What is burnout?
This results from indirect exposure to others’ traumatic experiences.
What is secondary trauma?
This personal practice includes activities that support mental and physical well-being.
What is self-care?
A case manager working in a trauma service setting experiences a combination of physical symptoms (headaches, sleep issues, muscle tension), behavioral changes (withdrawal and reduced engagement), emotional strain from repeated exposure to clients’ trauma, and worsening functioning at work over time.
What is burnout?
A person shows a noticeable decrease in drive to start or continue required tasks.
What is lack of motivation?
Both of these trauma-related conditions are predictors of burnout.
What are Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Vicarious Trauma (VT)?
This organizational strategy includes regular check-ins and guidance from supervisors.
What is supervision?
A case manager who has worked in trauma services for several years begins noticing that their beliefs about safety, trust, and the world have gradually shifted over time due to repeated exposure to clients’ trauma histories.
What is Vicarious Trauma (VT)?
A person shows more frequent disagreements or tension with others in their environment.
What is increased conflict with others?
This condition is described as a cumulative psychological response to working with trauma survivors.
What is Vicarious Trauma (VT)?
This involves sharing responsibilities and communicating effectively within a team.
What is teamwork/collaboration?
A social worker experiences symptoms similar to PTSD after indirectly hearing about multiple clients’ traumatic experiences.
What is Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)?
A person experiences a combination of elevated heart activity and tightness in the chest.
What are physical symptoms?
A large proportion of burnout risk was found to be explained by this indirect exposure-related condition at 47.3%.
What is Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)?
This strategy involves setting limits between work and personal life.
What are boundaries?
A helping professional begins experiencing a general state of heightened bodily activation when faced with ongoing work demands. The response is non-specific, affects the body, and occurs when multiple requirements are placed on the individual over time.
What is anxiety?