Vicarious Trauma and Burnout

Previously, I wrote an article for the Garda Review on Vicarious Trauma (VT). I believe there are lessons in it for all of us. Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon and is now researching it further. Whether you have experienced VT or burnout, there may be information here that you find useful — from mindset, to changing clothes after work, to simple ways of switching off.

Working as a Garda is both a proactive and reactive job, with every day bringing something different. Working with people daily has its challenges and its rewards. Your training exposed you to many scenarios and taught you how to problem‑solve and grow resilient in dealing with various types of crime. Your job is to enforce the law and protect the public.

Every situation can have a personal and professional cost, depending on your reaction. As a Garda, you have learned how to switch off your emotions in difficult and distressing incidents so you can take organised notes and maintain an accountable paper trail. This resilience allows you to deal with the unpredictable nature of your work.

It is essential to be able to switch your emotions on and off depending on the situation. What you wear defines your role — whether you are in uniform, plain clothes, or your everyday off‑duty clothing. Taking the time to consciously transition between working and not working is vital in protecting yourself.

Your mindset before starting and finishing work is important. Finding what works for you — mindfulness, hobbies, exercise, or simply watching your favourite programme — gives you space to be yourself and not just “a guard.” Stress is a modern‑day phenomenon, and debriefing after a stressful day is a must. It allows you to switch off and reduces the likelihood of bringing work home.

Dealing with serious crime can result in vicarious or secondary trauma, and in some cases Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There is a link between Vicarious Trauma (VT) and PTSD (Mathieu, 2012).

What is Vicarious Trauma (VT) or Secondary Trauma?

VT occurs when you hear difficult or traumatic stories on an ongoing basis. For example, taking numerous personal statements while investigating violent crimes over a sustained period can have a cumulative impact.

Common signs of VT include:

• a change in confidence about your ability to do your job well

• vivid memories of a particular case

• impatience with colleagues

• reduced job satisfaction

• a lack of hope

Combatting VT is primarily about creating awareness on a professional, organisational, and personal level (Mathieu, 2012).

Organisational support for Gardaí on the ground has been described as inadequate, contributing to higher suicide rates (Fallon, 2018). An open attitude within the organisation and appropriate training regarding VT are crucial. When VT is pushed away or not acknowledged, the probability of depression increases. Today, depression is one of the leading causes of illness in the Western world (WHO, 2018).

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2005), employers have a legal responsibility to risk‑assess for stress. On a personal level, it is crucial to reduce the risk of VT by learning to switch off from work and caring for yourself holistically. Putting your needs before others is not selfish — when you become depleted physically and emotionally, you are at higher risk of VT.

Some signs of VT include impatience with colleagues, reduced job satisfaction, lack of hope, and negativity about yourself. Humour is one way Gardaí protect themselves. Light humour can be protective, but dark or gallows humour — taking a fun attitude to terror‑inducing crime — can be indicative of VT (Bourne & Craun, 2014).

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris advised new recruits to be “operationally honest,” listening not just to the public but internally (Brady, 2018). Honesty can feel vulnerable, but it is in this vulnerability that we are strong (Brown, 2010).