Safeguarding Forensic Science Professionals

Forensic science professionals are vital personnel in the criminal justice system who routinely operate in high-stress environments. The forensic science field comprises many distinct professional roles, including civilian and sworn employees of law enforcement agency crime laboratories, police forensic units (such as crime scene units and fingerprint units), and associated medical examiner or coroner offices.

No matter where they practice, all forensic professionals are expected to be perfect in their work. They are called upon to make “zero errors,” process cases quickly to meet investigators’ needs and court deadlines, provide expert testimony in adversarial settings, and address ever-growing case backlogs in offices that are typically understaffed and under-resourced. These demands can lead to stress and burnout.

Further, forensic science professionals are exposed to unique work stressors that can result in vicarious trauma that affects their personal health and wellness:

• Direct, on-site exposure to violent crime and death scenes experienced by crime scene investigators.
• Exposure to graphic multimedia evidence from crimes against victims, including children, experienced by digital evidence examiners.
• Exposure to physical evidence from crime scenes, such as bloody clothes, experienced by laboratory workers.

Despite these professionals’ daily encounters with work stressors, agencies and government programs often overlook their forensic workforce when developing health and wellness resources. In contrast, police and corrections officers’ significant exposure to work-related trauma is widely recognized. That awareness has given rise to substantial research that produced promising practices to improve those officers’ health and wellness.

For example, it is well understood that police and corrections officers have an increased risk of occupational and organizational stress; chronic disease related to untreated stress, physical inactivity, and obesity; poor sleep quality; mental health disorders; substance misuse; burnout; and suicide.[1] The physical and mental health effects of work-related stress and repeated exposure to trauma negatively affect decision-making processes and behaviors, which may further impact public safety and community trust.[2]

However, the field is just beginning to acknowledge the unique need for a better scientific understanding of the impact of trauma exposure on forensic professionals. One question is whether and how resources developed for policing professionals apply to the forensic workforce, especially civilian personnel who operate behind the scenes, yet are vital to the administration of justice.

Addressing a Growing Need

In a 2019 report to the U.S. Congress on the needs assessment of the forensic science community, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) highlighted the need to develop and make available resources that address stress and vicarious trauma associated with the forensic work environment to establish a resilient forensic workforce.[3] Additionally, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) formed a working group to promote awareness of this topic among senior leaders and encourage collaboration between researchers and forensic practitioners.

NIJ is addressing this need by dedicating research resources to support new approaches to advancing resiliency of the forensic science workforce.

A 2019 NIJ grant award, “A Study of Trauma and Resiliency Among Forensic Examiners Investigating Child Pornography,” supported a collaboration between the University of New Hampshire and its partner, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Training and Technical Assistance Program.[4] This initiative examined the impact of work-related exposure to child pornography on forensic examiners’ stress, mental health, and physical health; their relationships; and current agency practices to mitigate trauma and promote resilience. In surveys of commanders from the 54 ICAC task forces and 155 investigators from ICAC-affiliated agencies, findings suggest gaps in agencies’ protective practices. Almost half of the respondents identified a need for more wellness resources in their agency.[5]

Results also indicate one of the main barriers to wellness is the stigma often associated with seeking mental health help. In survey responses, participants emphasized an overall need to prioritize mental health education and stated leadership should encourage and support mental health help-seeking. Further findings suggest that talking to other officers investigating the case, taking breaks from the material being viewed, and learning the final case resolution were related to better mental health.[6] The exposure to violent child pornography itself was related to elevated post-traumatic stress symptoms but the duration, frequency, amount, and content of child pornography exposure was not related to poorer mental health.

A second 2019 NIJ award, “Understanding Work-Related Stress Among Medicolegal Death Investigators: A National Survey and Mixed-Methods Impact Study,” was granted to Research Triangle Institute (now RTI International or RTI) and their partners, the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners and the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.[7] The project’s goal is to inform interventions and preventative training for medicolegal death investigators (MDIs) to reduce and alleviate work-related stressors and improve organizational outcomes (e.g., turnover, job performance) and personal well-being. Initial findings from a U.S.-wide survey of 1,000 MDIs suggest that 4 out of 10 experience moderate to high levels of stress related to their work and nearly half (42 percent) experience symptoms of depression.[8]

The impact study evaluated 55 MDIs’ engagement with MDI Align, a mindfulness and wellness app designed specifically for MDIs. The study evaluated work activities, sleep, and stress through self-report measures and biometric data over a six-week period. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in self-reported sleep problems and depression, and a significant increase in self-reported judgment of their ability to cope with challenges (or coping self-efficacy). Participants also demonstrated a significant decrease in physiological stress, as measured by heart rate variability. The final report for this study can be found on the NIJ website.[9]

Last, a 2021 NIJ intramural research project examined secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction of forensic science professionals working in crime laboratories and medical examiner officers. Results suggest efforts to address stress varied across the organizations surveyed. However, employees reported lower stress and burnout when they perceived that their organization promoted wellness.[10]

These findings are key initial contributions to a nascent field and help develop a foundation to safeguard forensic science professionals’ well-being.

Resources for the Field

Although the need continues to grow, resources have increased in recent years to support the forensic science stakeholder community. However, little research exists to understand the efficacy of these programs and resources. (See Table 1.)

*The FTCOE’s Just Science podcast is for justice professionals and those interested in learning more about various topics that relate to those working in the criminal justice system. Just Science is developed by RTI International and partially funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. All podcast episodes are available to the public at no cost. 

Conclusion

Preliminary research suggests that exposure to trauma negatively affects forensic science professionals’ overall health and wellness. The linkage between traumatic exposure and health and wellness has long been established for other justice system professionals (i.e., police and corrections officers). For forensic professionals, however, the evidence collected to date, while significant, just scratches the surface of trauma’s substantial and long-term impacts.

Only a coordinated research effort can fill this knowledge gap to fundamentally improve the health and wellness of forensic science professionals. Focused research can reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, remove accessibility barriers, identify effective prevention and intervention initiatives, and mitigate occupational stressors. Health and wellness tools that have worked for police and corrections officers may hold promise for forensic professionals but require implementation in the forensic science profession along with rigorous evaluation to discern their effectiveness.