SeViD is a series of scientific studies that are the first of their kind to investigate the second victim phenomenon (SVP) in German-speaking countries. To date, twelve SeViD studies are planned in Germany within various medical professional groups, half of which have already been published in Q1/Q2 journals (as of January 2025).

The Second Victim Phenomenon after the evidence- and consensus-badsed  definition of the European ERNST-consortium refers to:

“Any health care worker, directly or indirectly involved in an unanticipated adverse patient event, unintentional healthcare error, or patient injury and who becomes victimized in the sense that they are also negatively impacted.”

As there were no systematic studies on the prevalence, symptom burden and preferred support options for this phenomenon in Germany, Prof Dr Reinhard Strametz launched the SeViD project in 2018. To this end, the validated SeViD questionnaire was developed, which was supplemented with COVID-19 and personality-related questions (BFI-10). The first professional group to participate were internal medicine residents (SeViD-I) before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second study (SeViD-II), nursing staff were surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third study focussed on emergency physicians who were surveyed at the end of 2022. Surveys are now also available from Germany for general practitioners and even family caregivers - the latter are quasi double victims as first and second victims.

The results showed that although SVP is widespread, it is not yet sufficiently well known. Even though the triggering factors can vary, the prevalence and symptom burden are comparably high in all areas. The SeViD studies therefore serve as a data basis for further research projects and can be used to develop support programs.

The SeViD questionnaire has now arrived in the German-speaking neighboring country of Austria: two SeViD studies (SeViD-A1 and SeViD-A2) among Austrian pediatricians and nurses have already been published. The third SeViD-A study is due to be published shortly (as of January 2025).

The SeViD questionnaire has been translated into numerous languages through the cooperation of the European Researchers' Network Working on Second Victims and the first studies from other European countries are expected soon.

In addition, the WiHelP has also determined the economic impact of the introduction of peer support systems for both healthcare organizations and the healthcare system in Germany.

• Strametz R, Roesner H, Neusius T, Wiesenhuetter I, Bushuven S, Mira JJ, Hinzmann D, Heininger S. (2025)The Economic Implications of Psychosocial Peer Support for Health Workers in German Hospitals. J Healthc Leadersh. 17:15-22. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S498789
• Potura E, Roesner H, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Tsikala P, Klemm V, Strametz R (2024) Second Victims Among Austrian Nurses (SeViD-A2 Study). Healthcare. 12:2061. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12202061
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Klemm V, Diesener P, Haller S, Strametz R (2024) The "Double Victim Phenomenon"-Results From a National Pilot Survey on Second Victims in German Family Caregivers (SeViD-VI Study). J Patient Saf. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000001251
• Roesner H, Bushuven S, Ettl B, Heininger S, Hinzmann D, Huf W, Krommer E, Marung H, Potura E, Raspe M, Schwappach D, Trifunovic-König M, Strametz R (2024) Second Victim: Übersetzung der internationalen konsensbasierten Definition mittels Delphi-Methode. Zbl Arbeitsmed (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40664-024-00553-0
• Roesner H, Neusius T, Strametz R, Mira JJ (2024) Economic Value of Peer Support Program in German Hospitals. Int J Public Health 69:1607218. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607218
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Bunz M, Weinmann-Linne P, Klemm V, Strametz R, Müller BS. Applicability and Validity of Second Victim Assessment Instruments among General Practitioners and Healthcare Assistants (SEVID-IX Study). Healthcare. 2024; 12(3):351. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030351
• Potura E, Klemm V, Roesner H,  Sitter B, Huscsava H, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Voitl P, Strametz R (2023) Second Victims among Austrian Pediatricians (SeViD-A1 Study). Healthcare 2023, 11, 2501. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11182501
• Marung, H.; Strametz, R.; Roesner, H.; Reifferscheid, F.; Petzina, R.; Klemm, V.; Trifunovic-Koenig, M.; Bushuven, S. (2023): Second Victims among German Emergency Medical Services Physicians (SeViD-III-Study). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20, 4267. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054267
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Bentele M, Bentele S, Strametz R, Klemm V, Raspe M. (2022): Self-Assessment and Learning Motivation in the Second Victim Phenomenon. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19, 16016. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316016
• Strametz R, Fendel JC, Koch P, Roesner H, Zilezinski M, Bushuven S, Raspe M (2021): Prevalence of Second Victims, Risk Factors, and Support Strategies among German Nurses (SeViD-II Survey). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(20):10594. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010594
• Strametz R, Siebold B, Heistermann P, Haller S, Bushuven S (2021): Validation of the German Version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool—Revised. J Patient Saf. 18(3):182-192 https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000886
• Strametz R, Koch P, Vogelgesang A, Burbridge A, Rösner H, Abloescher M, Huf W, Ettl B, Raspe M (2021): Prevalence of second victims, risk factors and support strategies among young German physicians in internal medicine (SeViD-I survey). J Occup Med Toxicol. 16(1):11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00300-8
• Strametz R, Roesner, H, Abloescher M, Huf W, Ettl B, Raspe M (2020): [Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess incidence and reactions of second victims in German speaking countries (SeViD)] Zbl Arbeitsmed. 71:19-23 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40664-020-00400-y