The Authors’ Own Words: Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

Merith Cosden, PhD; Ashley Sanford, PhD; Lauren M. Koch, BS; & Caitlin E. Lepore, MA

Substance Abuse Vol. 37, Iss. 4, 2016

“Many clients who are in treatment for substance abuse also have a history of trauma. Treatment providers acknowledge the role that trauma plays in substance abuse and many provide integrated treatment for trauma symptoms and substance abuse. Unfortunately, programmatic changes have proceeded faster than has our understanding of the impact of this work on substance abuse treatment providers. In particular, we know that working with clients who have experienced trauma can result in vicarious trauma and/or vicarious posttraumatic growth. This study examined factors associated with vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth for counselors working with clients in substance abuse treatment. Counselors who were in recovery were more likely than other counselors to report a history of trauma; they also reported higher levels of vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth. This study identified risk factors for counselors’ experiencing vicarious trauma and vicarious posttraumatic growth, and points to the importance of preparing counselors, both personally and professionally, for addressing trauma within substance abuse treatment programs.”