Vicarious Trauma in the Workplace: Measuring Hidden Harm

Vicarious Trauma in the Workplace: Measuring Hidden Harm

From Healthy Work by Healthy Work Podcast

April 6, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode discusses vicarious trauma in the workplace, its effects, and the need for organizational interventions.

In episode 116, we’re joined by Dr. Beth Stelson , Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, to unpack an often invisible, but consequential, workplace hazard: vicarious trauma . Vicarious trauma occurs when workers are repeatedly exposed to other people’s traumatic experiences, leading to psychological and physiological stress responses—even when they haven’t experienced the trauma firsthand. This is especially common among healthcare workers, social workers, substance use disorder professionals, and other helping professions , yet it’s rarely treated as a core occupational health issue. We explore: * What vicarious trauma is and how it differs from burnout and PTSD * Why focusing only on symptoms misses the root of the problem * How repeated exposure to trauma at work affects mental health, physical health, job satisfaction, and turnover * New evidence linking vicarious trauma to serious physical health outcomes * The Vicarious Occupational Trauma Exposure (VOTE) Index , a new tool designed to measure where and how trauma exposure happens in the workplace * Why prevention requires organizational and system‑level interventions , not just individual self‑care…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Beth Stelson

Topics covered

  • vicarious trauma
  • workplace hazard
  • mental health
  • occupational health
  • healthcare workers

Keywords

  • psychological stress
  • physiological stress
  • job satisfaction
  • turnover
  • VOTE Index

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Vicarious Occupational Trauma Exposure (VOTE) Index

Places: St. Louis

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