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Self-care in User Research (Videoconference)
Thursday, April 2, 2020 • Advancing Research Community
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Self-care in User Research (Videoconference)
Speakers: Jane Reid and Janice Hannaway
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Summary

Exposure to others’ trauma is toxic. This is known as 'vicarious trauma' and it's what happens to people who hear harrowing stories as part of their work.  User researchers are often faced with situations where they need to conduct repeated in-depth interviews with people who’ve had traumatic experiences and who have developed PSTD, mental health issues, chronic illness, addiction, self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. We believe this repeated exposure puts the psychological safety of user researchers at risk. Training to equip people with the right skills and confidence to prepare for and handle these situations is often absent from user research training.

Key Insights

  • 85% of user researchers report experiencing mental health issues, with 70% saying it affects their work.

  • User researchers in public sector face repeated exposure to traumatic content such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, homelessness, and addiction.

  • Typical six-month research cycles can involve over 130 interviews and numerous stakeholder meetings, increasing emotional fatigue risks.

  • Preparing user researchers focuses heavily on logistics and user safety but often neglects the researchers' psychological preparation.

  • Lack of training on handling sensitive disclosures causes researchers to freeze or respond inappropriately, risking harm to participants and themselves.

  • Transference, common in therapeutic settings, can also occur unknowingly between researchers and participants, risking crossed professional boundaries.

  • Acts of kindness by researchers toward participants outside professional roles, like providing food or shelter, may be well-meaning but professionally unsafe.

  • Clinical supervision or group reflection is essential to help researchers process emotional responses and prevent burnout or vicarious trauma.

  • COVID-19 has amplified vulnerability and traumatic exposure for both researchers and participants, requiring even greater focus on self-care.

  • A 10-step self-care guide includes knowing personal biases, preparing for disclosures, maintaining boundaries, and gaining permission to end interviews when necessary.

Notable Quotes

"85% of user researchers had suffered from mental health issues and 70% say they had actually affected their work."

"We put a huge amount of preparation into preparing for user research but we don't tend to prepare ourselves as user researchers."

"We have to teach people how to prepare for and respond to difficult conversations when they occur during interviews."

"In six months you can be exposed to traumatic content over approximately 132 sessions, putting user researchers at risk of burnout and vicarious trauma."

"User researchers are often exposed to trauma repeatedly and have barely any time to recover before their next interview."

"Transference can happen in the professional relationship between a user researcher and a participant, risking crossed boundaries."

"Acts of kindness by user researchers, like taking participants to food banks, may not be appropriate within their professional role."

"Bottling up emotional responses leads to burnout or trauma; we must recognize warning signs and seek support early."

"You need permission to end an interview if you feel it has changed or become unsafe, you can do that respectfully."

"It's better to be honest with participants about not being the right person to provide support, and offer to refer them instead."

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