Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma· 2026Q1
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Trauma Among Legal Professionals: A Scoping Review of Risk, Resilience, and Options for Institutional Response
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Legal professionals exposed to client trauma experience high psychological distress, including PTSD symptoms, depression, and burnout, with factors like long hours and unsupportive cultures exacerbating the risk.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Legal professionals exposed to client trauma report high levels of psychological distress, including PTSD symptoms, depression, and emotional exhaustion.
- Factors increasing risk for secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma (VT) include direct/indirect trauma exposure, long work hours, and unsupportive organizational cultures.
- Protective factors such as supportive supervision, trauma-informed cultures, and access to mental health services can mitigate STS and VT.
- Systemic, organizational responses are crucial for addressing STS and VT, supporting workforce well-being, and maintaining ethical client services.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This scoping review examines the prevalence, predictors, impacts, and potential responses to secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma (VT) among professionals working in child welfare, family law and other legal, judicial, and adjacent service systems. We conducted a comprehensive search across multidisciplinary medical, psychological, and legal databases. Across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies, professionals with sustained exposure to client trauma experienced high levels of psychological distress, including symptoms of PTSD, depression, emotional exhaustion, and functional impairment. Factors associated with STS and VT included direct and indirect trauma exposure, long work hours, unsupportive organizational cultures, and limited institutional support. Protective factors such as supportive supervision, trauma-informed organizational cultures, and access to mental health services mitigated the effects of trauma exposure. Overall, the findings underscore the need for systemic, organizational responses to address STS and VT to support workforce well-being and sustain ethical, effective services for trauma-exposed clients.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Public Administration
Public AdministrationSocial Sciences