Secondary traumatic stress in attorneys and their administrative support staff working with trauma-exposed clients. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Although secondary trauma has been assessed in various groups of mental health professionals, few studies, to date, have examined secondary trauma among attorneys exposed to clients' traumatic experiences. This study examined indicators of secondary trauma among attorneys (N = 238) and their administrative support staff (N = 109) in the Wisconsin State Public Defender Office. Attorney participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and functional impairment compared with the administrative support staff. This difference was mediated by attorneys' longer work hours and greater contact with clients who had experienced or had been directly involved with trauma. Sex, age, years on the job, office size, and personal history of trauma did not predict symptoms. These findings suggest a need to support attorneys experiencing these symptoms and to address high workloads as well as the intensity of contact with trauma-exposed clients.

publication date

  • December 1, 2011

Research

keywords

  • Burnout, Professional
  • Lawyers
  • Models, Psychological
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 82955246663

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3182392c26

PubMed ID

  • 22134453

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 199

issue

  • 12