Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Published on: December 6, 2024
Personal trauma history and secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals: A systematic review
Anita Henderson1,2, Tom Jewell3,4, Xia Huang3,5
1Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
Introduction:
Caring for those who have been traumatized can place mental health professionals at risk of secondary traumatic stress, particularly in those with their own experience of personal trauma.
Aim:
To identify the prevalence of personal trauma history and secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals and whether there is an association between these two variables in mental health professionals.
Method:
We preregistered the review with PROSPERO (CRD42022322939) and followed PRISMA guidelines. Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINHAL were searched up until 17th August 2023. Articles were included if they assessed both personal trauma history and secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals. Data on the prevalence and association between these variables were extracted. Quality assessment of included studies was conducted using an adapted form of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.
Results:
A total of 23 studies were included. Prevalence of personal trauma history ranged from 19%-81%, secondary traumatic stress ranged from 19% to 70%. Eighteen studies reported on the association between personal trauma history and secondary traumatic stress, with 14 out of 18 studies finding a statistically significant positive relationship between these variables. The majority of studies were of fair methodological quality.
Discussion:
Mental health professionals with a personal history of trauma are at heightened risk of suffering from secondary traumatic stress.
Implications For Practice:
Targeted support should be provided to professionals to prevent and/or address secondary traumatic stress in the workforce.
More Related Videos
09:55Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
10:43Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Repressed Memory
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle