TRAUMA
Defined
DSM-5
Exposure to death, serious ingury, or sexual violence (Sweeney et al., 2018)
direct or indirect experiencing or witnessing (Sweeney et al., 2018)
trauma as external traumatic events
traumatic effects
cumulative (Sweeney et al., 2018)
poorer outcomes such as suicide attempts and self-harm (Sweeney et al., 2018)
Trauma categories
Small-t: Non-life-threatening events (Negash et al., 2018)
Large-T: threatening events (Negash et al., 2018)
Conceptual issues
Cultural vs. universal (Krupnik, 2019)
Trauma vs. adversity: continuum from "small" to "big" trauma (Shapiro, 2017)
Scalability and operationalization challenges (Krupnik, 2019)
Autonomic Nervous System
Persistent distress and dysfunction (Negash et al., 2018)
Quantitative
studies
Impact assessments on physical, mental, and emotional health (Sweeney et al., 2018)
Prevalence rates (e.g., ~6% for PTSD) (Alexandra Kredlow et al., 2022)
quantitative studies on narrative exposure methods for treating trauma or PTSD in refugees, focusing on those with sufficient data to calculate effect sizes and statistical power. (Gwozdziewycs & Mehl-Madrona, 2013)
Measures
Surveys and questionnaires (e.g., PTSD Checklist)
Statistical analysis of prevalence and severity
Qualitative
Methods
Interviews and case studies
Police Support Personnel (Huey et al., 2023) study used Semi-structured interviews to understand Vicarious trauma exposure and long-term effects
Negash et al. (2018) used a qualitative case study to show the effectiveness of integrating EFT and EMDR in couples therapy.
Thematic analysis of personal narratives and Critical interpretive synthesis
Lehrner & Yehuda (2018) used Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS), an inductive qualitative process, to generate new theory from reviewed literature of Preventing intergenerational trauma transmission. The aim was to synthesize and critically interpret literature on intervening in the intergenerational transmission of relational trauma within parent-infant relationships.
Insights
In-depth understanding of trauma experiences
personal and cultural contexts
Treatment modalities
Traetment-informed Approachs
"What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" (Sweeney et al., 2018)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Benefits of Modality
single-event trauma (Shapiro & Brown, 2019)
verbal recounting of trauma (Shapiro & Brown, 2019)
Limitation of Modality
Extended stabilization phase for complex trauma (Gonzalez-Vazquez et al., 2018)
use in group therapy (Negash et al., 2018)
PTSD, complex trauma (Shapiro & Brown, 2019)
8-stage protocol (Shapiro & Brown, 2019)
with other therapies like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for treating trauma in couples (Negash et al., 2018; Gonzalez-Vazquez et al., 2018).
Narrative Therapy
Benefits of Modality
survivors of mass violence (Lely et al., 2019)
identity and self-concept (Bayes, 2023)
Limitation of Modality
NET's use is limited but shows promise, with attention needed for managing distress and dysregulation (Sparrow & Fornells-Ambrojo, 2024).
active participation in storytelling (Bayes, 2023)
may vary across different cultural contexts (Lely et al., 2019)
Focuses on how storytelling helps us make sense of our lives, with trauma often dramatically altering our narratives (Bayes, 2023).
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) for PTSD (Lely et al., 2019; McPherson, 2011)
significantly reduce PTSD symptoms compared to other treatments, waitlists, or treatment as usual (McPherson, 2011).
often used in diverse contexts, including with children and refugees (Peltonen & Kangaslampi, 2019; Wright et al., 2020).
reshape emotional understanding and reconcile different aspects of oneself, facilitating a return to competency and empowerment (Bayes, 2023).
Manifest through
Acute Trauma
Results from a single incident
PTSD
Extreme fear, re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal (Alexandra Kredlow et al., 2022)
Intergenerational Trauma
Resilience vs. pathology (Lehrner & Yehuda, 2018)
Transmission across generations (Lehrner & Yehuda, 2018)
Complex Trauma
Prolonged, repeated harmful events (Van Nieuwenhove & Meganck, 2017)
Vicarious Trauma
Affects therapists working with trauma survivors (Padmanabhanunni & Gqomfa, 2022)
observing that professionals working with trauma victims can suffer long-lasting psychological effects from their engagement with these experiences (Huey et al., 2023).
as the emotional and cognitive impacts of hearing traumatic stories, leading to negative changes in professionals’ cognitions over time (Huey et al., 2023; Pilla et al., 2021).
Childhood/ Developmental Trauma
Risk factor for psychopathology and mental health disorders (Salvatore et al., 2023)
Cumulative impact in early life (Sweeney et al., 2018; Salvatore et al., 2023)
Chronic Trauma
Extreme fear, re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal (Alexandra Kredlow et al., 2022)
Compound Trauma
Multiple independent traumatic events