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Most forensic mental health professionals specifically choose this field and tend to stay in it. The work is rewarding and can make a real difference for patients. However, these professionals face unique stressors that can challenge their own mental well-being.
Recent research highlights the fundamental importance of building and protecting the mental resilience of forensic mental health professionals. Understanding the challenges they face is the essential first step. For example, it is becoming clear that the trauma-informed care and environment that are crucial for patients in the criminal justice system are equally important for the professionals who work with them.
During her talk at the International Forensic Psychiatry Lecture Series, Dr. Vivienne de Vogel provided several recommendations on how to build and protect resilience for these professionals and the organizations where they work. These included several evidence-based strategies and practical interventions to support mental resilience. She noted the particular importance of supporting younger professionals who are just starting in the field.
Dr. de Vogel also discussed characteristics of mental resilience at individual, team, and organizational levels, along with key risks and protective factors.
AI-generated image using ChatGPT.
Where Does Mental Resilience Come Into Play?
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines mental resilience as “The process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences.” Dr. de Vogel expanded on this to include the importance of recovery and growth after such experiences.
Providing mental health services in the criminal justice system can be difficult and uniquely challenging. And no matter what they encounter, mental health professionals are expected to maintain balance and a positive outlook. This can directly affect their mental health and calls for special attention to building and protecting their mental resilience.
Challenges and Potential Consequences
Working with patients in forensic settings can involve aggression, emotionally stressful stories, and tensions such as patient reluctance or perceived manipulation. This can be especially challenging for young professionals.
Studies show clear parallels between the effects of such incidents on patients and professionals. For example, both might experience anxiety, anger, or hyper alertness. For professionals, the consequences may also include temporary feelings of fear and self-blame, as well as more severe, longer-term costs like burnout, compassion fatigue, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Given these challenges, trauma-informed care and a supportive environment are just as crucial for professionals as they are for patients. To address this, understanding risk factors is essential.
Risk Factors
Several factors can influence mental resilience at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
Individual Factors
Individual risk factors include low emotional intelligence and a tendency toward negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, depression, anger, self-doubt). Stress at work or in one’s personal life can also influence mental resilience. Being able to recognize and share one’s own needs and uncertainties is important to managing the stress of this kind of work.
Individuals need to be aware of how their personal issues might be affecting their work. But while introspection and self-awareness are part of the recipe for good mental resilience, support from the individual’s team and organization is also needed.
Team Factors
Being able to share vulnerabilities and frustrations with colleagues or managers can reduce burnout and strengthen resilience before problems arise.
Managers have an important role in coaching and supervision to strengthen team cohesion, but their own mental resilience also requires attention. Ultimately, the ideal situation depends on maintaining a constant balance and interaction among all members of the team.
Organizational Factors
Several organizational factors can put the mental resilience of the individual and the overall team at risk. These may include excessive bureaucracy, high workload, limited input into decision-making, lack of autonomy, and lack of responsibility or recognition.
Creating and maintaining an open culture can help minimize these risks. For example, adequate staffing and fair, balanced caseloads can strengthen team cohesion and reduce the perception of unfairness. This can go a long way toward creating a culture where individuals are open to sharing vulnerabilities and issues.
When an organization has clear policies and protocols to support mental resilience — including guidance on reporting and responding to serious incidents — individuals and teams feel supported and are more likely to share their concerns.
Three Levels of Prevention
Primary prevention addresses problems before they arise, using healthy lifestyle habits, relaxation, mindfulness, and self-care.
Secondary prevention involves early detection and support, providing tools to help professionals calm down and relax as soon as distress is noticed.
Tertiary prevention supports recovery and reduces the long-term effects of severe incidents, through manager follow-up and external professional help if needed.
Next Steps
More research is needed into how working in forensic mental health and criminal justice settings affects mental resilience. A better understanding of the risk factors and prevention measures at all levels will inform the development of policies that directly support mental resilience, including prevention and aftercare.
For more details, watch the recording of the January 22, 2026, lecture, “Mind Your Mind? Mental Resilience of Forensic Social Professionals” on our website.
Written by Carolyn Johnstone and approved by Dr. Vivienne de Vogel
