Review of Protective and Predisposing Factors in the Vicarious Traumatization of Psychotherapists

Abstract

The impact on psychotherapists' mental health when addressing traumas is an area of research that has scarcely been investigated. This review focuses on the protective and predisposing factors of vicarious trauma in psychotherapists. Out of 202 indexed articles in Proquest, Web of Science, Scopus, and Pubmed databases, 22 met the inclusion criteria. Predisposing factors were identified such as limited experience, treating a high number of trauma cases, psychotherapists' prior traumas, young age, female gender, limited sense of self and meaning of life, having religious beliefs, and professional practice in the private sector. Protective factors that emerged were perceived social support, coping strategies, having clinical supervision, and some personality-linked factors. Additionally, the potential interrelation between vicarious trauma and secondary post-traumatic stress is demonstrated and discussed. The findings underscore the impact of indirect trauma exposure on psychotherapists' mental health, emphasizing the need to implement prevention and intervention programs for those professionally dedicated to healing the traumatic wounds of others.