Watch for Secondary Trauma, For This Is the Winter of our Discontent

Psychiatry & Society

January was a rough month for us socially, as H. Steven Moffic, MD, discusses. Specifically, he calls attention to the video of the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Is it helpful to watch these videos or are we exposing ourselves to secondary trauma? How much are psychiatrists exposed to trauma of this sort, and should you limit your own exposure? In general, are we as a society exposed to too much violence?

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues related to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times™.