KEY POINTS
- When people observe traumatic events occurring to others, they can suffer vicarious trauma, also referred to as secondary traumatic stress.
- Lessons can be learned from witnessing the adversity of others.
- Vicarious posttraumatic growth can include benefits to one's relationships, resilience, self-confidence, and purpose in life.
- People struggling with challenges such as depression or anxiety disorders should be prepared to seek support when news becomes too intense.
During an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, read screenshots of text messages between a Russian soldier and his mother moments before he was killed: “Mama, I’m in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I’m afraid. . . . Mama, this is so hard.
Despite the geographical distance and differences in culture and language, the events of the war in Ukraine are being observed throughout the world in vivid reports and media, often in real time. While journalists have covered events on the scene in prior wars, social media is bringing this war to people also with graphic videos uploaded by those directly impacted by the violence, fear, and physical hardships of seeking shelter and escape.
When people observe traumatic events occurring to others, they can suffer vicarious trauma, also referred to as secondary traumatic stress (STS). Among those who serve the needs of others, secondary traumatic stress has been defined as the stress deriving from helping others who are suffering or who have been traumatized. Such stress can take a toll on a person’s personal and professional lives, inflicting the emotional and behavioral impacts that characterize the symptoms suffered after direct exposure to trauma. In other words, we can suffer vicariously when we witness the suffering of others. At varying degrees of severity, STS can include emotional exhaustion, sleep disturbance, recurring negative thoughts, and negative impacts on interpersonal relationships.
To read more of Krystine I. Batcho, Ph.D.'s article, please click here.
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