Vicarious trauma, vicarious resilience and criminal defence lawyers

Poor mental health and wellbeing among lawyers has been a longstanding issue for the profession with increased recognition in recent years. Much research in this area has emphasised ill-being and the negative consequences for lawyers of their work. In particular, exposure to distressing materials and cases presents a risk of vicarious trauma. Drawing from 53 interviews with criminal defence lawyers in Australia, the study found that ill-being was common but there were also factors beyond the individual lawyer that seem to support resilience. This article highlights practices that can promote vicarious resilience in response to the risks of vicarious trauma. Participants identified peer-to-peer networks, in tandem with organisational and managerial support, as essential to fostering vicarious resilience. Drawing on practices from health care and other emergency services, this article considers how cultivating an ecosystem of support could minimise the risk of workplace harms.