Secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and, less formally, second-hand trauma are all terms used to describe the phenomena where an individual is indirectly, yet significantly impacted by learning of another person's direct experience of a traumatic event, either through visual or auditory input. Symptoms of secondary trauma can vary and can include:

Anything that is experienced as directly disturbing and threatening to one's sense of safety, well-being, and life can be traumatic and jarring. In reality, traumatic events are happening all the time, and there are numerous ways in which we are exposed to traumatic events, if not directly, then indeed indirectly.

Passing an accident scene while driving down the road, witnessing a robbery, listening to news stories about disasters and wars, and working in an industry such as healthcare or criminal justice in which one is constantly hearing about others' trauma can all be experienced as secondary trauma.

In fact, according to the Sidran Institute, 7.3 percent of all adult post-traumatic stress disorder........

© Psychology Today