If your employees are experiencing trauma and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), they are going through something much more intense than stress. Both can have lasting psychological and emotional effects and what’s more, work itself may be one of the causes.
This article looks at trauma and PTSD in the workplace, explains the differences and offers advice to employers in spotting the signs and supporting employees. As both conditions can seriously affect employees’ health, performance and productivity, we think understanding them is a valuable part of an organisation’s wellbeing strategy.
Stress, Trauma and PTSD – what are the differences?
While stress is a normal physiological response to challenging situations, trauma often results from exposure to extreme stress or shock and can be caused by workplace violence, accidents or witnessing events or incidents that are traumatic in themselves. That’s why those who work in frontline services in the military, fire service and NHS can be expected to experience trauma.
The majority of people exposed to such events experience some short-term distress, but eventually, their trauma fades to a memory that, while it may be painful, isn’t destructive. In the workplace itself, trauma can be caused by harassment, bullying, job insecurity and a toxic culture. That’s why we as employers have our own role to play in prevention.
PTSD can develop as a result of these traumatic experiences and worse which may also include sexual assault, witness to sudden death or a child’s serious illness or injury. These can lead to symptoms such as intrusive memories, emotional distress, hyper vigilance, and difficulty focusing.
You may also see references to C-PTSD. The C stands for ‘Complex’ and C-PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic events.
Trauma and PTSD in numbers
- According to PTSD UK, 50-70% of us will experience a trauma at some point in our lives and 10% of us will experience PTSD.
- The NHS states that around 33% of people who experience a trauma may go on to develop PTSD.
- 4 in 100 people in the UK are expected to have PTSD at any given time (this stat doesn’t include C-PTSD) but still equates to 2,612,000 people in the UK).
For additional data, please see: https://www.ptsduk.org/ptsd-stats/
Spotting the symptoms
The challenge for employers is that, just like cases of burnout and other forms of stress, trauma can also be hard to identify. What’s more, people display the symptoms differently. According to the NHS, the symptoms of PTSD develop during the first month after a traumatic event. But in a minority of cases, there may be a delay of months or even years before symptoms start to appear.
Those that experience trauma and PTSD may try to block memories of these experiences from their minds and carry on as if they didn’t happen. They may try to distract themselves with hobbies or perhaps work even harder as an avoidance tactic, which in itself can contribute to burnout.
Here are some of the things to look out for:
- Changes in behaviour: These can include decreased productivity, increased absence levels, increased conflict, difficulty with relationships, blaming others and difficulty concentrating.
- Emotional distress: Symptoms may include anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, negative thoughts, and emotional outbursts.
- Physical reactions: These can manifest as hyper vigilance, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. In the case of PTSD, re-experiencing is the most typical symptom which can have the physical reactions of flashbacks, nightmares, visualising repetitive images, and physical sensations such as pain, sweating, feeling sick or trembling.
In roles where employees are exposed to more obvious forms of trauma, it should follow that line managers and colleagues are, or should be, more aware of the potential for trauma and are actively looking for the signs. But for those working in roles that are not exposed to traumatic conditions, symptoms can be harder to spot. Especially when the culture of the organisation causes employees to work in silence and with fear of speaking up.
Is your workplace culture to blame?
There is no doubt that some organisations create working conditions that cause stress and trauma and can lead to PTSD. Some roles come with what we may consider as too much pressure, perhaps a ‘micro-managing’ line manager and a lack of anyone to talk to. We can be trapped within someone else’s power play and politics, experience racism and bullying, made to feel like we just don’t fit in – and that the fault lies with us.
Some of us can rise above this kind of treatment and move on, but many can’t, or don’t feel they have a voice. For them, the very place they spend most of their time can be the worst place to be; with a risk to their mental and physical health.
One of the challenges when aspects of a workplace culture lead to trauma and PTSD is that people often feel powerless and intimidated when it comes to taking action. At its worst, workplace trauma can cause employees to experience muscle spasms and chest pains even while thinking about their place of work.
We found this BBC article when researching trauma in the workplace, it’s a very disturbing read that goes into more depth than this space allows. ‘Why long-term workplace trauma is a real phenomenon’.
What support can an employer offer?
For all the above reasons, trauma and PTSD are experiences that many don’t want to discuss with their employer, especially if the employer is the cause. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate the occurrences and support those going through the symptoms:
Seating and noise: Being near a door or window or positioned so that the chances of surprise are minimised can help. It can be helpful to be able to see the whole room or office, to reduce panic. The same applies to reducing sudden noise which may act as a trigger.
Create safe spaces: Being able to retreat to a quiet area to avoid overwhelm or to take time out where they can recover after a flashback or panic attack can be invaluable.
Respect working hours and boundaries: Trauma and stress is draining so sleep matters. Asking for extra shifts or the sending of out of work emails erodes the personal boundaries they need to rest and recover.
Being aware of triggers: If you know what can trigger the trauma of a colleague (loud noise, bright lights, certain images etc), work out with their team how to avoid these risks. If everyone is involved, responsibility will be shared and be more likely to work.
Managing tasks and scheduling workload: Trauma and PTSD can reduce concentration, so avoiding long, complex tasks and reducing the pressure of tight deadlines can help avoid the worry of losing track. Flexible working can also help create time and space to cope.
Train your teams and raise awareness: In organisations most exposed to traumatic conditions, help with understanding of trauma, coping with incidents and triggers and recognising the signs will help to create a more supportive workplace.
Be willing, and trained, to talk: If as a line manager, you suspect a team member is experiencing trauma, be ready to talk, but let them decide and at all times respect their privacy. If a conversation is arranged, make sure you have a safe and quiet space and understand what further counselling may be available. Training in mental health first aid will also be helpful in gaining the specialist skills needed to listen and show understanding.
In conclusion
More people than you think may be experiencing trauma and PTSD. In the workplace, many may be trying to hide it either because they don’t want others to know, or in cases of toxic culture, out of fear of speaking out. It therefore presents a challenge to spot the signs and offer the appropriate help. But being more aware of the issues, offering workplace adjustments, understanding and better awareness, we can go some way to helping our colleagues towards recovery.
Get our guide
We have produced a new Cordell Health resource on Trauma and PTSD. This is available to subscribers to our wellbeing service. If you are not signed up to this service and would like to find out more, please contact us on wellbeing@cordellhealth.co.uk
Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash
