Impact on wellbeing of exposure to traumatic material in “back office” police and law enforcement staff

Protecting Justice Professionals from Trauma: Turning Research into Action for Mental Health and Wellbeing

Professionals in the field of justice, such as secondary investigators and analysts, are frequently and indirectly exposed to traumatic material, including detailed accounts of violence, abuse, torture, murder, and other forms of severe violence. Despite this intense exposure, they have not been widely studied in academic research.

Dr Duran’s AXA project aimed to understand the psychological mechanisms behind the negative impact of indirect trauma exposure on these professionals and factors contributing to resilience. She used a combination of tests and interviews, utilizing both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, to triangulate data from multiple sources and identify individual and organizational factors influencing risk and resilience. 

The findings from her studies clearly indicated that secondary investigators and analysts are at significant risk of psychological distress due to their repeated indirect exposure to traumatic experiences in their work. Consequently, it is imperative for employers to proactively identify and manage early symptoms of mental ill-health.

Among many academic and extra-academic honors, Dr Duran’s project has resulted in the publication of four papers in high-impact journals* presentations at conferences, and multiple invitations by external stakeholders to share her findings with practitioners**.

Moreover, Dr Duran has successfully translated her research into real-world impact beyond academia:

She produced two awareness-raising videos, now included in the UK National Wellbeing Toolkit for Investigators 2022 : [Protecting the protectors | Oscar Kilo]

Additionally, the 2023 edition of the toolkit features Dr Duran’s infographic, which provides strategies for senior leaders to support their teams [Strategies for Working with distressing content]

Her achievements have led to the creation of a new sub-group for secondary investigators under Strand 3 of the National Wellbeing Group for UK Policing, which focuses on the wellbeing of investigators.

References:

*Duran et al., 2022; Duran et al; 2023a; Duran et al., 2023b; Woodhams & Duran, 2024)

**Wellness cafés offer support to secondary investigators and analysts at risk of traumatic stress - Policing Insight

MASTERY seeks to change how we deal with 'sensitive' topics in academia - University of Birmingham

More resources :

‪Dr Fazeelat Duran - ‪Google Scholar [Resources - University of Birmingham