ARTICLE: An Exploratory Study of Occupational and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among a Mid-sized Public Defenders’ Office

Abstract

The impact of stress on the mental and physical well-being of criminal justice professionals is of critical import for the effective operation of the criminal justice system. While a number of studies have examined various forms of stress among law enforcement and correctional officers, minimal research has examined the presence and impact of stressors among individuals working in the criminal courts. This exploratory study examines whether indigent defense attorneys suffer from occupational stress and secondary traumatic stress. A survey of attorneys from a mid-sized public defender’s office were found to have symptoms of severe occupational stress as well as high levels of secondary traumatic stress. Furthermore, regression analyses indicated that secondary traumatic stress and severe occupational stress had significant negative impacts on attorney job satisfaction. Implications for these preliminary findings are discussed as well as recommendations to limit the negative impacts stress has on indigent defense attorneys. _______________________________________________________________________________ as well as clearly, modulate their provide effective of 1998), and have a negative impact on the operation of the criminal court system. On the hand, decreasing the levels of occupational stress and secondary trauma experienced by attorneys is likely increase their mental well-being, health, and levels of job satisfaction. This paper presents the results from an exploratory study which examines the levels of severe occupational stress and secondary traumatic stress experienced by a sample of public defenders in a single public defense office. Additionally, the relationship between job satisfaction and the measures of stress are explored, as are factors that might ameliorate the impact of high levels of stress. While exploratory, it adds to the literature by illustrating how occupational and secondary traumatic stress experienced by public defenders can be measured and recommending steps that be taken to ameliorate the impact these stressors have on individual attorneys as well indigent defense more broadly. qualitative The caseloads; and and