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Protecting Wellbeing When Exposed to Distressing Topics or Content

Learn how to recognise, manage, and protect your wellbeing when exposed to distressing content at work.

The diverse therapy group listens attentively as the young adult woman shares.
The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Build your personalised wellbeing toolkit for a workplace with demanding topics

When working with distressing topics or content it’s important to understand and manage the emotional demands and explore strategies to protect wellbeing for yourself and your team.

Develop new skills to empower yourself and your team with this flexible online course.

Understand what DToC means and who it affects

Explore what counts as “distressing” or “emotionally demanding” work, the types of roles exposed, and how individual experiences differ.

You’ll discover the motivations that lead people to work in these challenging areas and how the effects of exposure can change over time. Gaining insights into both direct and indirect experiences of DToC.

Learn about impacts and support strategies

Identify how DToC can affect individuals, teams, and organisations. Including how stress, burnout, and shifting team dynamics.

Learn practical wellbeing strategies, from exercise and sleep hygiene to mindfulness and building healthy workplace relationships.

Discover how environments and practices can be shaped to reduce harm.

Develop reflective and personalised wellbeing practices

Gain an understanding of the role of reflective practice in improving self-awareness and team support. You’ll learn to create a personalised wellbeing toolkit.

Learners will practise strategies for resilience both in the workplace and outside, with guidance from expert contributors.

You’ll walk away with a tailored plan to support your own wellbeing and share insights with your colleagues.

Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds Many professionals working in different sectors across society are exposed, directly or indirectly to other people’s experiences of abuse, harm, violence, catastrophe, illness and death. In some professions, workers are exposed to extreme and hateful communications made by others that might describe, imagined, or perpetrated acts of harm. If your work involves experiences or material like this, you may have recognized that you or your colleagues have been affected in a number of ways.

Skip to 0 minutes and 44 seconds Poor mental health in the workforce is one of the most common causes of work limiting conditions, especially among those aged under 45, and it costs employers around 51 billion pounds per year in the UK’s National Health Service. Anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses are the most reported reasons for sickness, and the UK police saw more than 14,500 officers signed off work for similar reasons.

Skip to 1 minute and 18 seconds Being exposed to distressing material or working on distressing topics directly or indirectly can certainly take its toll.

Skip to 1 minute and 29 seconds When we think of being exposed to distressing material or topics at work, we might think of emergency services staff or health professionals working on the frontline. These professionals are exposed to distressing material very directly. Still, many other professionals are exposed directly and indirectly to including content moderators, those working in law enforcement and justice settings, health and social care workers, civil servants, researchers, charity workers, and clinical and forensic practitioners. Center U-B has therefore developed this online course to help anyone who is exposed to distressing material or topics as part of their work. If this is you and you sign up to the course, this is what you can expect.

Skip to 2 minutes and 21 seconds The course begins with an introduction to what distressing material and topics can include, and what might happen from working with them.

Skip to 2 minutes and 33 seconds You will then be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to undertake reflective practice, to help you to identify where and how you encounter it.

Skip to 2 minutes and 44 seconds Experts will then guide you through the various strategies that you can use to enable you to care for yourself and your colleagues. Promoting your wellbeing and theirs. You will then be supported to develop your own personalized wellbeing toolkit that you can refer to when needed.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Understanding exposure to distressing topics and content

    • What is distressing content and what might happen from working with it?

      In this first activity, we explain what we mean by the term 'distressing'. We also explore what motivates people to work with distressing topics or content, and introduce some of the impacts.

    • What is reflection and how do I do it?

      In this activity we explore what self-reflection is, and how to use reflective practice to promote mental health and personal growth.

    • Where and how do I encounter distressing content?

      In this activity we look at the different working environments where employees might encounter distressing content, and explore a range of factors that can affect how we deal with stress when exposed to distressing content.

    • Closure and next steps

      A short wrap-up of the learning covered in this week.

  • Week 2

    Strategies for protecting wellbeing when working with distressing topics or content

    • Self-care

      In this activity we begin with looking at how everyday objects can become triggering, before working through some techniques to help you understand your mental preparedness for working with distressing content.

    • Support from others and supporting others

      In this activity we focus on developing and fostering supportive relationships at work and at home, as well as how to communicate about your work with these different audiences.

    • Healthy physical environments

      In this activity we explore the impact of the physical environment on wellbeing, and tips on creating healthy environments at home and at work. You will reflect on how the physical environment affects you.

    • Closure and next steps

      A short wrap-up of the learning covered in this week.

  • Week 3

    Planning for prevention and protection

    • What can I do?

      In this activity we look at further advice from practitioners and researchers on what they do when working with distressing content. We also explore the benefits of good sleep and physical wellbeing.

    • What can we do?

      In this activity we explore guidance on how to support colleagues’ wellbeing in the workplace. We will also look back across the course for key resources to build into your own 'mood board'.

    • Wellbeing toolkit

      In the final activity we outline the purpose of toolkits, how they can be used and their benefits. You will be guided on how to develop your own toolkit, based on your needs.

    • Closure and next steps

      A short wrap-up of the learning covered in this week, and acknowledgement of course contributors.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore what distressing topics and content are and where you might encounter it.
  • Identify the impact of experiences with distressing topics and content, and identify meaningful strategies to employ to protect yourself.
  • Explore how you can work with your physical environment and with people around you to protect your wellbeing.
  • Explore the core components of developing a wellbeing toolkit to protect employer/employee wellbeing.

Who is the course for?

This course is ideal for anyone exposed to distressing topics and content through work or studies, as well as those responsible for supporting staff wellbeing.

What software or tools do you need?

No specific software needed, just internet access and a means to watch the video material and audio clips. You will need access to Word or similar software in order to use the downloadable templates.

Who will you learn with?

Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham researching crime and policing topics. Extensive experience working on distressing topics.

Forensic Psychologist and Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK. Researches policing and serial offending, and protecting the wellbeing of criminal justice workers.

Who developed the course?

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is a public research university, consistently listed as a leading UK university and ranked among the top 100 in the world.

Centre UB

CENTRE-UB behavioural research innovation and excellence is focussed around understanding behaviour.

What's included?

This is a premium course. These courses are designed for professionals from specific industries looking to learn with a smaller group of like-minded individuals.

  • Unlimited access to this course
  • Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes
  • Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you're eligible
  • Download and print your Certificate of Achievement anytime

Still want to know more? Check out our FAQs

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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