Secondary Traumatic Stress

 Secondary traumatic stress (STS) refers to the distress and emotional disruption resulting from continued and cumulative contact, or after single exposure, with individuals who have directly  experienced trauma. Work that involves witnessing a great deal of suffering, either by observing or listening to narratives of trauma, can result in lasting emotional distress to health workers. For example, healthcare professionals hearing about one firsthand trauma experiences of their patients may experience STS with the same intensity as others who hear stories repeated over time. The symptoms of STS usually have rapid onset1 and may lead to healthcare workers using more sick leave and creating lower morale. This ultimately leads to less effective healthcare workers.