That inarticulable grief about the state of the world has a name — and employers should know it

The world is inching closer to normalcy, but few of us can truly conceive what “normal” will look like by the end of the year. We’ve talked a lot about the steps HR leaders can take to prepare employees for returning to the office, from the benefits they should offer to cultural changes they can make. 

However, one thing that’s difficult to prepare for is the mental health toll imposed by the events of the last year and a half — many of which are still ongoing. A catastrophically deadly pandemic, racial violence, a contested election, and even a riot in the nation’s capital, all contribute to a sense of dread and anxiety. Many of us found ourselves asking, “what could possibly come next?” 

It’s difficult to describe, let alone articulate, the feelings average employees are enduring. Fear, anxiety, rage, languishing — each can impact productivity, and few can be resolved by simply going back to the office. So what can HR and people leaders do? The first step is to understand where they’re coming from.

Vicarious trauma and the lingering effects of lockdown

The circumstances of the lockdown exposed us to unique and unprecedented forms of suffering and grief. For those of us personally affected by the pandemic, whether we got sick ourselves, or lost friends and family members, the grief is still fresh and palpable. For others, who looked on from their homes at empty streets and grocery store shelves, daily death tolls on their smartphones and Instagram feeds, and marches for equality in their cities, the feelings are complex and indescribable.

Vicarious trauma, as psychologists call it, describes the emotional residue that results from repeatedly witnessing and encountering trauma. Although we usually talk about it from the perspective of frontline workers and healthcare professionals, overexposure to COVID news has impacted our collective mental health.

“Vicarious trauma is real and can result from continuously hearing about or witnessing others' suffering. We are bombarded by images through social media and news outlets that result in our viewing a trauma repeatedly which can impact our own emotional health and wellbeing,” said Cynthia Coffelt, LCSW, who specializes in grief counseling.

The symptoms of vicarious trauma include preoccupation with an event, bystander’s guilt, anxiety, and anger. Employees may cope with these feelings in a variety of ways — some might withdraw themselves, while others might seek acknowledgment or validation. Simon Elkjær, a Chief Marketing Officer, suggests “Though grief has always been a topic we should always approach with caution and grace, I believe we can agree that COVID-related grief is different.”

He suggests employers should strive “to be more understanding, compassionate, and provide them with the healthy environment they need to cope and overcome this.”

“Vicarious trauma is real and can result from continuously hearing about or witnessing others' suffering."

Empathize with disenfranchised grief

For those of us struggling with vicarious trauma as a result of the events of 2020, we might be experiencing something called disenfranchised grief. Disenfranchised grief is a form of grief or sorrow that is hidden, unrecognized, or invalidated by social norms.

Coffelt describes it as, “If one cannot relate to or understand the particular loss, it may be minimized or diminished.  This in turns leads to the internalization of grief which can present as anxiety, depression, poor health outcomes and profound sadness and isolation,” 

Witnessing the devastation wrought by the pandemic, racial injustice, and political violence can make it difficult for many to feel like their sadness is valid. However, the consequences are still all the same: in June of 2020, 31% of adults reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the numbers have largely stayed the same since. 

In the workplace, the consequences can be lost productivity, reduced hours, or even leaving a position or the workforce entirely. Since these issues are still pertinent, and the road to recovery is particularly slow and bumpy, organizations and HR leaders would do well to reevaluate and rejuvenate their strategy to treat the mental health of their employees.