Trauma in Research Assistant Roles: Research assistants often face unique challenges when working on emotionally intense topics, particularly if they lack established support systems outside the research team or have not yet learned effective coping strategies, according to a Rutgers Health study.

The study, published in the Journal of Gender-Based Violence, surveyed 27 research assistants involved in a multistate firearm violence research project. While working on the project, research assistants read and coded graphic descriptions of gun violence.

According to the findings, 26% of research assistants lacked reliable emotional support outside of their research teams. Among the coping strategies reported, the most common were taking short breaks (89%) and engaging in informal peer interactions (41%), with 83% and 91% of research assistants, respectively, finding these strategies helpful.

The study emphasizes the importance of building emotional breaks and fostering supportive, flexible team environments.

“Gun violence prevention work can involve emotionally difficult topics such as suicide, intimate partner abuse and more,” said Jennifer Paruk, a postdoctoral fellow at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

Paruk, the lead author of the study, said some research assistants “may be encountering these issues for the first time – and in an intense way – through their research roles. Many are also living away from home and without their usual support systems, which can make coping even more difficult.”

The study highlighted that taking short breaks between Extreme Risk Protection Order cases helped research assistants reset and regain focus. Informal peer interactions also were a key coping tool, providing opportunities for shared strategies and emotional connection. These conversations created a space for mutual validation and support, helping research assistants process the emotional weight of their work.

“There are many ways that study teams can support their research assistants, regardless of the team’s structure or needs,” Paruk said. Newswise/SP