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The Impact on the Interviewer of Holocaust Survivor Narratives: Vicarious Traumatization or Transformation?

Transcending Trauma Project, Council for Relationships, 4025 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Building on knowledge from research focusing on "vicarious traumatization " or "compassion fatigue " on therapists and others who work with victims of trauma, this study focused on researchers. The article reports the results of an exploratory, qualitative study of eighteen interviewers of Holocaust survivors from four different Holocaust research projects using a survey instrument and several open-ended questions. The results indicate that there were more positive than negative impacts on the researchers. Positive impacts include: increased appreciation for the resilience and strength of survivors; a greater appreciation for one's life; a stronger Jewish identity; and a greater sense of justice. Negative impacts include only one case of what could be viewed as vicarious traumatization or compassion fatigue. Other negative impacts on the interviewers were: difficulty in listening to the traumatic narratives, increased fear and vulnerability as a Jew, and a general sadness about the dark side of humanity. However, in all cases these negative impacts were mitigated by the positive benefits the interviewer respondents felt they gained from doing this work. The latter part of the paper discusses how interviewers coped with the traumatic material and the implications for future research.

Key Words: Holocaust survivors • Holocaust survivor interviewers • vicarious traumatization • compassion fatigue

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