What is a possible outcome for health care professionals following trauma exposure?

• A. It always causes physical injury
• B. It can lead to PTSD or secondary traumatic stress
• C. It never leads to mental health conditions
• D. It only affects patients

Answer: (B)

Exposure to traumatic events can affect health care professionals just as it does patients, sometimes leading to mental health responses rather than physical harm. A plausible outcome after repeated or intense exposure is PTSD or secondary traumatic stress, the latter arising from empathic engagement with others’ trauma. These conditions can bring intrusive memories, avoidance, negative mood changes, and heightened arousal, and they can impair functioning at work and at home. It’s not guaranteed to happen, and risk is influenced by factors like how often exposure occurs, personal coping resources, and the level of organizational support. That’s why this option best captures the reality: mental health consequences such as PTSD or secondary traumatic stress can arise for clinicians after trauma exposure. The other statements don’t fit because trauma exposure does not have to cause physical injury, it can lead to mental health conditions, and it can affect clinicians—not just patients.