Protecting Investigators: Dr. Michael Bourke On Building A Healthier DFIR Community

Dr Michael Bourke joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss the psychological impact of investigating internet crimes against children and how organizations can better support digital forensic investigators' mental health. As a distinguished clinical psychologist and researcher, Dr Bourke shares powerful insights from his extensive work in this field, explaining how repeated exposure to disturbing material can affect even the most resilient professionals.

Dr Bourke introduces his innovative "sunburn analogy" to explain how secondary traumatic stress accumulates over time, discusses practical strategies for protecting investigators' wellbeing, and reveals details about the groundbreaking FORWARD Center, a new non-profit wellness facility dedicated to supporting first responders. He also shares insights from the National Wellness Survey, which received responses from 8,000 law enforcement professionals, demonstrating the urgent need for better mental health support in this field.

#digitalforensics #DFIR #mentalhealth #wellbeing

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

02:00 Inspiration Behind the Research

03:01 Challenges Faced by Digital Forensic Investigators

06:00 The Importance of Proactive Mental Health Support

13:32 Cultural Competence in Therapy

23:42 Practical Steps for Organizations

34:23 The National Wellbeing Survey

38:03 The Forward Center Initiative

48:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts