The pandemic has pushed many of us and those we support to the limit of what we can cope with: our daily rhythms disrupted, community services overstretched, relationships strained to breaking point.

The impact of trauma can be significantly reduced with the right approach - and with the help of the Trauma Action Group. We build understanding and teach helpful approaches which anyone can learn and use every day.

A challenging time For Many

For some this extraordinary time has provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, but for others it has been a real struggle with many feeling overwhelmed and traumatised.

High risk groups include:

Children and Young People

1.5 million children and young people in England will need support for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders

Analysis conducted by the Centre for Mental Health

Parents

Around one in ten parents are experiencing symptoms of ‘parental burnout’

Study by Moira Mikolajczak, professor of psychology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and quoted in The Times article:
Parental burnout — it’s time to take it seriously

The bereaved

1 in 8 Britons are mourning a Covid-related death and an estimated 9.7 million mourners have been unable to attend their loved one’s funeral

Research commissioned by YouGov for Co-op Funeral Care

Teachers

52% of all teachers feel their mental health and wellbeing have declined during 2020

Study of 3034 education professionals conducted by Education Support

Healthcare professionals

Almost half (48%) of health employees including nurses, porters, paramedics, healthcare assistants and A&E staff across the UK have struggled to cope

Study of 14,000 healthcare professionals conducted by UNISON

the conditions for trauma

Not every negative event will cause trauma for everyone, but the pandemic broadly meets the three criteria for a traumatic response in many people:

1. It was unexpected

Before the pandemic began, few could have expected to be living in such unusual circumstances. The events came without warning and without precedent.

2. People were unprepared

Without prior experience to call on, it has been a huge challenge to deal with the practical and emotional challenges brought by lockdowns, widespread illness, and disruptions.

3. People were overwhelmed, and felt helpless

Some have taken the pandemic in their stride. But many have been overwhelmed by the demands, the disruption, the isolation and the loss. A feeling of helplessness has become common.

In our work during the pandemic, we’ve seen countless families in crisis. For some, the pandemic has worsened pre-existing issues; for others, the damage to family relationships is new. The challenges range from emotional outbursts to violence, or children ‘shutting down’ and experiencing unfamiliar sensory difficulties (such as eating disorders). Some parents are experiencing compassion fatigue and shutting down. Many are becoming anxious about the future.

All of these are a response to the pandemic - and have the potential to cause further trauma in the lives of those families.

Secondary trauma - ‘compassion fatigue’

Staff trained to help people in difficulty are at significant risk of long-term mental health issues. It’s usually described as ‘burnout’ - but often, it’s the effects of trauma.

Months and years of working with people experiencing trauma in places like hospitals, care services and schools can leave a person unable to feel empathy for those they care for. Eventually, they can lose the ability to care about themselves and their loved ones. They shut down and burn out. They’ve become one of the millions of people with secondary trauma - also known as compassion fatigue - and they may not even know it themselves.

Organisations with secondary trauma see higher instances of long-term absence, increased staff turnover, and lower staff morale - reducing their capacity to provide an effective service.

Recovery is possible

We still don’t know the long-term impacts of the pandemic, but we already know that there are significant mental health issues as a result of such a disruption to our lives.

Trauma will be a part of the challenges that organisations will face as life returns to ‘the new normal.’

Using simple strategies, you can help your staff reduce the risks and impact of trauma on them and the people they support.