Weir Patricia, Jones Liz, Sheeran Nicola
School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Psychiatr Psychol Law. 2020 Jun 23;28(3):363-381. doi: 10.1080/13218719.2020.1776650. eCollection 2021.
Lawyers experience significant levels of psychological distress. We argue that one reason, which has received insufficient attention from researchers, is their exposure to traumatic material. Our study examined the lived experience of lawyers who are exposed to traumatic material, including the role their organisation and profession play in shaping their experiences. Thirty-five lawyers or barristers, from both the public and the private sector, participated in in-depth interviews about how their exposure to traumatic material affected them, and how their organisation shaped their experiences. Our analysis identified six themes: when material becomes traumatic, fear of stigma, everyday recovery, boundaries through denial and distancing, using social support normatively and making meaning. Our findings identify that lawyers can experience strong emotional reactions to traumatic material, and their experience is influenced by the professional norms and training in law. Moreover, their organisation has an important role in either ameliorating or exacerbating their responses.
律师承受着相当程度的心理困扰。我们认为，一个未得到研究人员充分关注的原因是他们接触到了创伤性材料。我们的研究考察了接触创伤性材料的律师的实际经历，包括他们的组织和职业在塑造其经历中所起的作用。来自公共部门和私营部门的35名律师或大律师参与了关于接触创伤性材料如何影响他们以及他们的组织如何塑造其经历的深入访谈。我们的分析确定了六个主题：材料何时变得具有创伤性、对污名的恐惧、日常恢复、通过否认和疏远来划定界限、规范地利用社会支持以及赋予意义。我们的研究结果表明，律师可能会对创伤性材料产生强烈的情绪反应，并且他们的经历受到法律专业规范和培训的影响。此外，他们的组织在缓解或加剧他们的反应方面起着重要作用。
