Vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress experiences of helping professionals

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a 20-year content analysis of interdisciplinary publications exploring vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress experiences of providers working with refugees, asylees, and asylum-seeking individuals. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive analysis of 37 publications in mental health and closely related fields was conducted. The authors analyzed the articles and identified seven overarching themes that shed light on the publication trends and gaps in the existing literature concerning issues of vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress experiences among service providers working with this population. Findings Themes of the publication trends are discussed, and implications are provided. Originality/value Currently, the literature does not include a comprehensive content analysis examining vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress experiences of helping professionals working with migrant communities.