Jamie Kelly
Workplace Trauma Is More Than Stress
Mental Health Awareness Week encourages important conversations about wellbeing at work. However, in this summary of an article by Jamie Kelly of YTherapy, we see that some workplace experiences can go far beyond ordinary stress or burnout.
Repeated exposure to traumatic situations within professional roles can contribute to symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Rather than viewing these experiences as simple workplace stress, the article explains that they may instead represent genuine occupational trauma exposure linked to the work itself.
This is particularly relevant within emotionally demanding professions where individuals may regularly encounter distressing situations, traumatic information or vulnerable people. Over time, repeated exposure to these experiences can have a significant psychological impact.
Direct Trauma in the Workplace
Direct trauma occurs when somebody personally experiences or witnesses a traumatic event during the course of their work.
Examples may include exposure to violence, abuse, threats, accidents or other distressing incidents. According to the article, repeated or significant exposure to these experiences can contribute to trauma-related symptoms and emotional distress.
The article highlights that trauma responses within the workplace are not always linked to a single catastrophic event. In some cases, exposure may build gradually over time through repeated experiences.
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
Another important issue is secondary or vicarious trauma. This can develop when professionals are repeatedly exposed to other people’s traumatic experiences.
The article explains that this is particularly relevant in professions where individuals regularly work with emotionally difficult material or support vulnerable people. Lawyers, healthcare workers, safeguarding professionals and emergency services may all encounter this type of trauma exposure.
Repeatedly hearing traumatic experiences or reviewing distressing evidence can still have a psychological impact, even when the trauma has not been experienced directly by the individual themselves.
Moral Injury and Relational Trauma
Moral injury is when somebody feels unable to act in line with their values, ethics or professional responsibilities because of workplace pressures or organisational systems.
This conflict between personal values and workplace realities can contribute to psychological distress over time. The article highlights that organisational environments and workplace structures can sometimes play a significant role in creating or worsening these experiences.
Relational trauma is another form of workplace trauma discussed in the article. Toxic workplace relationships, bullying, hostility and unhealthy working environments can all contribute to ongoing emotional harm and psychological strain.
Rather than focusing solely on individual resilience, the article encourages greater recognition of the wider workplace factors that can affect mental wellbeing.
The Role of Workplace Systems and Culture
The final category explored in the article is systemic trauma. This focuses on the impact workplace systems, leadership and organisational culture can have on mental health.
Environments where excessive pressure, poor support or repeated trauma exposure become normalised can contribute to long-term psychological harm. This shifts the conversation away from viewing mental wellbeing as solely an individual responsibility.
Instead, it is important to recognise that of shared responsibility and earlier action within workplaces. Leadership, supervision, workplace culture and support systems can all influence whether trauma exposure is recognised and addressed before individuals reach crisis point.
This links closely to this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme of “Action”, encouraging healthier workplace responses and greater awareness of occupational trauma.
Breaking Down Barriers to Seeking Help
The article also connects with wider conversations around mental health stigma within professional environments. Jamie Kelly previously explored these issues for Chronicle Law in the article “Mental Health Stigma in Legal Professions: How Lawyers Can Break Down Barriers to Seeking Help”, which examined some of the barriers that can prevent professionals from discussing mental health challenges or seeking support earlier.
You can read that article here:
https://chroniclelaw.co.uk/blogs/2024/09/19/mental-health-stigma-in-legal-professions-how-lawyers-can-break-down-barriers-to-seeking-help/
Original article by Jamie Kelly at YTherapy:
FAQ’s
Can PTSD develop because of work?
Yes. The article explains that repeated exposure to traumatic situations, distressing material or emotionally demanding environments can contribute to symptoms associated with PTSD and occupational trauma.
What is vicarious trauma?
Vicarious trauma occurs when somebody is repeatedly exposed to other people’s traumatic experiences. This can affect professionals who regularly work with vulnerable individuals or emotionally difficult material, such as solicitors and lawyers.
What is moral injury?
Moral injury can develop when somebody feels unable to act in line with their personal values or professional ethics because of workplace pressures, systems or organisational culture.
Is workplace wellbeing only an individual responsibility?
No. A key point raised in the article is that workplace wellbeing should not focus solely on individual resilience or self-care. Workplace culture, leadership, systems and organisational pressures can all contribute to psychological harm, meaning responsibility for wellbeing should be shared across the organisation.
Is workplace trauma the same as ordinary workplace stress?
No. The article explains that workplace trauma involves more than ordinary stress or burnout and may instead relate to genuine occupational trauma exposure linked to the work itself.