As leaders in the field of trauma and addiction recovery and support, we face considerable pressures and stresses that very often lead to burnout. Burnout is understood by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon [1] – in other words, it is a condition which is explicitly linked to the work we do. And while anyone can experience burnout (and many of us do, especially under the current economic circumstances), those who take on leadership positions are particularly at risk, as are those who work in trauma and addiction support. Unsurprisingly, leaders in the field of trauma and addiction support, therefore, very often experience burnout.
But what is the cost of burnout for leaders and those they support? There are numerous negative effects associated with burnout for those who experience it, but it can also have far-reaching consequences for colleagues, clients, family and friends.
Leadership and burnout
According to research, individuals in leadership roles are at least slightly more likely to experience burnout. Leaders face distinct pressures because of decisions they have to make on behalf of others; additionally, taking on responsibilities for their performance, as well as the performance of those around them, makes those in leadership positions more susceptible to key factors of burnout, including feelings of alienation, emotional exhaustion, workplace anxiety, and generally feeling overwhelmed and out of control [2].
We also know that stress in leaders is transferable to those they work with. When leaders are experiencing feelings related to burn out – exhaustion, alienation, anxiety, lack of control – these feelings are subject to affect others around them. This is especially true in environments where leaders work closely with those they lead, such as front-of-house, service, and care work. [3]
Trauma and addiction support and burnout
Everyone is subject to pressures and stresses at work, and while leaders are marginally more likely to experience burnout than those they lead, individuals who work in supporting those with mental health conditions, trauma, and addiction are significantly more likely to experience burnout [4]. One study, for example, showed that 40% of mental health professionals could be classified as experiencing burnout [5], and another put the number as high as 67% [6]. That’s an overwhelming number of individuals working in therapy who are experiencing burnout. Why?
One reason might be the effect of second-hand or vicarious trauma. Individuals who work closely with those who are struggling with addiction and trauma spend much of their daily life taking on those emotional experiences and working through them in pursuit of recovery. Naturally, there is a certain degree of transference: what research has called vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPG). This is because of the highly interactive and complex relationship that addiction and trauma workers have with their clients. The deep empathetic connection which is necessary for undertaking recovery can equally, and easily, open therapists to the trauma being treated. [7]
The effects on burnout on trauma and addiction leaders
For leaders in trauma and addiction support, the risk of experiencing burnout at work is therefore double-heightened. What does this mean for us and for those around us?
First, burnout reduces the effectiveness of individuals who are experiencing it. Some studies have suggested that in therapists treating PTSD, the presence of burnout reduces the chance of clinically meaningful improvement by nearly 10%. [8] While that number may seem small, when scaled up across all therapeutic relationships among individuals with PTSD, it becomes extremely significant.
Second, burnout transfers from leaders to those they are leading. In trauma and addiction support settings, this can initiate a dynamic where entire teams become subject to burnout. This has wide reaching and problematic implications where numerous individuals are not performing effectively in their therapeutic work. It can also lead to a situation where an entire support organization is reduced in its capacity to provide treatment to those who need it, with devastating impacts on the wider community.
Third, because leaders often liaise with a wider network in their work – at courses, for example, or conferences – burnout can have a negative effect on skill acquisition and development, both of which are integral to successful treatment for trauma and addiction. Maintaining professional connections often means obtaining professional resources, and where trauma and addiction support are concerned it is also very important to continuously seek out and practice up to date knowledge based on the most recent research and publications. Burnout, which is associated with emotional exhaustion as well as physical exhaustion and a feeling of failure, can compromise these relationships and therefore compromise our ability to provide good care and support.
Finally, leaders in trauma and addiction must manage not only teams of other therapeutic support workers, as well as clients, but also their families and friend networks. Many individuals who work as leaders are also parents, partners, siblings, children, and part of broad social networks in larger communities. Very often leaders take on significant roles in their communities; leadership begets leadership, such that someone who is a leader at work ends up a leader at home, at their kids’ schools, and elsewhere. So, when those of us in leadership roles in trauma and addiction experience burnout, we bring it across our networks in ways which can be negative for everyone involved.
Taking care of yourself as a leader
The risks of burnout are high for leaders, and even higher for leaders working in support for trauma and addiction. There is a high chance that most people working in leadership roles in this field will experience burnout at one point or another. Rather than pushing through, the key to ensuring it doesn’t have negative effects across our networks, for colleagues as well as clients, is to build a strong foundation that affords time for rest and recovery. There is no surefire cure for burnout, but sharing the burden of work can help. Communicating with loved ones about your feelings and experiences, and taking the time to meet your own physical and mental needs, can help ensure that burnout doesn’t take too high a cost.
[1] Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. B. (2025). Revitalising burnout research. Work & Stress, 39(2), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2025.2473385
[2] Müller, M., & Kubátová, J. (2026). A systematic review of managerial burnout and personal crisis: Navigating the interplay of individual, organizational, and environmental factors. German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift Für Personalforschung, 40(1), 15-55.
[3] P.D. Harms, et al. (2017) Leadership and stress: A meta-analytic review, The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 28, Issue 1, Pages 178-194, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.10.006.
[4] Duncan, S., & Pond, R. (2025). Effective burnout prevention strategies for counsellors and other therapists: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 38(3), 526–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2024.2394767
[5] O’Connor, K., Muller Neff, D. M., & Pitman, S. (2018). Burnout in mental health professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and determinants. European Psychiatry, 53, 74–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.06.003
[6] Morse, G., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., & Pfahler, C. (2012). Burnout in mental health services: A review of the problem and its remediation. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 39(5), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-011-0352-1
[7] Annunziata, K. N., Naraindas, A. M., & Donohue, G. (2024). The Impact of Trauma on Addiction Workers: An Exploration of Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Post-traumatic Growth. Psychology International, 6(2), 651-666. https://doi.org/10.3390/psycholint6020040
[8] Sayer, N.A. et al. (2024) Clinician Burnout and Effectiveness of Guideline-Recommended Psychotherapies. JAMA Netw Open. Apr 17;7(4):e246858. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.6858
