Serving Survivors of Torture: Attending to Vicarious Trauma and Enhancing Vicarious Resilience

Literature Related to Vicarious Trauma

Comprehensive bibliography compiled by Beth Hudnall Stamm: Stamm, B.H. (2010, November). Comprehensive Bibliography Of The Effect Of Caring For Those Who Have Experienced Extremely Stressful Events and Suffering. www.proqol.org.

The National Center for PTSD’s PILOTS database is a great source for traumatic stress literature: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pilots-database/pilots-db.asp

Baker EK. Caring for ourselves: A therapist’s guide to personal and professional well-being. Washington, DC:  American Psychological Association; 2003.

Figley CR (ed). Compassion fatigue: Coping with traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York, NY: Bruner/Mazel; 1995.

Figley CR, Kleber R. Beyond the “victim:” Secondary traumatic stress. In: Kleber RJ, Figley CR (eds). Beyond trauma: Cultural and Societal dynamics. New York: Plenum Press; 1995: 75-98.

Hesse, A. R. (2002).  Secondary trauma:  How working with trauma survivors affects therapists.  Clinical Social Work Journal, 30(3), 293-309.

Lustig SL, Delucchi K, Teenakoon L, Kaul B, Marks DL, Slavin D. Burnout and stress among United States Immigration Judges. 13 Bender’s Immigration Bulletin 22. 2008:22-30.

Lustig SL, Karnik N, Delucchi K, Teenakoon L, Kaul B, Marks DL, Slavin D.  Inside the Judges' Chambers: Narrative Responses from the National Association of Immigration Judges Stress and Burnout Survey. Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. 2009; 23(1):57-83.

McCann I, Pearlman L. Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. J of Traumatic Stress. 1990;3(1):131-149.

Pearlman LA, Mac Ian PS. Vicarious traumatization: An empirical study of the effects of trauma work on trauma therapists. Professional Psychology.  1995;26(6);558-565.

Pearlman LA. Self-care for trauma therapists: Ameliorating vicarious traumatization. In: Stamm BH (ed). Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers and educators. Lutherville, MD: Sidran  Press; 1995: 51-64.

Pearlman LA, Caringi J. Living and working self-reflectively to address vicarious trauma. In: Courtois CA, Ford JD (eds). Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An evidence-based guide. New York: Guilford Press; 2009: 202-224.

Piwowarczyk L, Ignatius S, Crosby S, Grodin M, Heeren T, Sharma A. Secondary trauma in asylum lawyers. Bender’s Immigration Bulletin. 2009;3:263-    269.

Saakvitne KW, Pearlman LA, & Staff of TSI/CAAP. Transforming the pain: A workbook on vicarious traumatization. New York:  Norton; 1996.

Saakvitne KW, Tennen H, Affleck G. Exploring thriving in the context of clinical trauma theory: Constructivist self development theory. Journal of Social Issues. 1998;54(2); 279-299.

Stamm BH (ed). Secondary traumatic stress: Self-care issues for clinicians, researchers, & educators. 2nd ed. Lutherville, MD: Sidran Press; 1999.

Stamm BH, Figley CR. Advances in the Theory of Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue and its Measurement with the ProQOL 5. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies annual conference. Atlanta, GA; 2009; Nov.

Weingarten K. Common shock: Witnessing violence every day. New York: Penguin Group; 2003.

Literature Related to Vicarious Resilience

Engstrom, D., Hernandez, P., & Gangsei, D. (2008). Vicarious resilience: A qualitative investigation into its description. Traumatology, 14(3), 13-21.

Hernández, P., Gangsei, D., & Engstrom, D. (2007). Vicarious resilience:  A new concept in work with those who survive trauma. Family Process, 46, 229-241.

Self-Care

New Tactics in Human Rights hosted an on-line tactical dialogue on Self-Care for activists (Sept 2010). Can still contribute to dialogue and see resources related to self-care at:
http://www.newtactics.org/en/blog/new-tactics/self-care

Self-Care Self-Assessment

Saakvitne KW, Pearlman LA, & Staff of TSI/CAAP.
Transforming the pain: A workbook on vicarious traumatization.
New York:  Norton; 1996.

A version of an assessment may be found at:  http://www.ballarat.edu.au/aasp/student/sds/self_care_assess.shtml

Measuring CS & CF

The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL)
Is available for free at: www.proQOL.org

The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSC)
From:  Bride BE, Robinson MM, Yegidis B & Figley CR (2004). Development and validation of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. Research on Social Work Practice, 14(1), 27-35.