Why Is The Understanding Of Trauma So Important For All? Part 1

Author: Justine East Campbell, Team Lead (Advocacy)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 3.9% of the world's population has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point. While 70% of people globally face potentially traumatic events, most do not develop PTSD. However, women are more likely to develop it than men.

Trauma is significant due to its persistent effects. In places like Jamaica and the Caribbean, high rates of violence and daily exposure to trauma make understanding it crucial. In 2015, nearly 108,000 Jamaicans were treated for mental illness, a rising trend. Recognising trauma early can improve mental health treatment, self-awareness, and resilience while reducing stigma and increasing support.

What is Trauma?

A traumatic event is a stressful incident that causes physical, emotional, and/or psychological harm. 

Trauma refers to an emotional response to this stressful incident that overwhelms how well a person copes, leads to feelings of helplessness, and lowers self-perception and the ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences. 

Types of Trauma

Trauma is commonly broken down into two types: 

Physical

Bodily injuries caused by external forces such as accidents, falls, or assaults. Example: Broken bones from a car accident.

Emotional Psychological

Overwhelming experiences that cause emotional harm, such as witnessing a traumatic event or experiencing abuse. Example: Anxiety, flashbacks.

The Impact of Trauma

On Individuals

Trauma can be long-lasting and greatly impact a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Trauma can impact personal relationships, self-esteem, memory and concentration, which can all affect a person’s daily functioning. If trauma is chronic it can have greater negative effects and if it’s experienced during childhood (adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) it can have strong impacts in those areas during adulthood. For example, it can lead to chronic diseases, mental health disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)), and substance abuse (e.g.,  misusing alcohol, drugs, or using self-harm to cope with difficult memories and emotions). It can also impact brain development which can cause learning, behaviour and emotional regulation difficulties. Traumatic events can be different for everyone and affect people in a variety of ways based on several factors, such as personal experiences, resiliency, and the amount of support that has been provided.

On Families

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma experienced across the lifespan can also impact families and future generations. Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of unresolved trauma from caregivers to their children through emotional and behavioural interactions that results in traumatization of the child without the child actually experiencing the event. Parents who experience a high number of ACEs are more likely to have children who also experience ACEs, sustaining a cycle of trauma. For example, a parent who uses drugs and/or alcohol to cope with trauma may expose their children to ACEs in the form of parental substance misuse and the associated effects on parent-child interaction.

On Communities

Since ACEs often negatively affect a family for generations, effects also reach the community level. For example, children who are abused or neglected grow up and enter similar circumstances with domestic violence or substance abuse. Their children suffer abuse and neglect, use drugs or alcohol to cope, and the cycle continues. People who possess a high number of ACEs are at a much greater risk of engaging in criminal behaviour as juveniles and adults. Increased delinquency and crime as well as greater mental health and physical health issues leads to substantial economic and social costs, such as more criminal justice involvement, lost productivity, and increased healthcare costs.

Why Understanding Trauma is Crucial

Early Intervention and Prevention

To address trauma, early intervention and prevention are essential as it can markedly reduce the enduring negative effects on a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health and also intergenerational transmission of trauma within families. Early intervention can aid in stopping chronic health issues, such as mental health disorders, chronic diseases and substance misuse, that are associated with trauma from developing. It can help to support healthy development since trauma hinders typical cognitive, emotional and social development in children and adolescents. Additionally, early intervention can minimise the economic burden on healthcare systems and enhance social outcomes like educational achievement and employment prospects.

Better Support Systems

• At Home

Having an understanding of what trauma is and how it can be caused and affect someone can help to make a home a safer and supportive environment. It means that persons within the household have greater knowledge of how to communicate, discipline, and respond to problematic behaviours in positive ways that are supportive and empathetic which reduces the likelihood of a family member experiencing trauma and already existing trauma becoming worse. Having an understanding also means that the knowledgeable person will know when and where to seek appropriate intervention and treatment for trauma for their family members.

• At School

When staff at school such as teachers have an understanding of trauma they may help their students feel more secure and supported and assist with their recognition of when students may need professional help. For example, various behavioural and emotional interventions may be put in place which may include the help of guidance counsellors, psychologists and other mental health professionals who can provide teachers and other staff with periodic training. Understanding trauma can help to dispel the perception of the disruptive, “bad behaving” child commonly expressed in the school setting. 

• At Work

When there is an understanding of trauma at work employers can better assist employees with their mental health needs through establishing employee assistance programs (EAPs) where staff can access counselling and other mental health services. Workplaces can also create a more supportive environment by promoting mental health awareness, self-care and taking time off from work and cultivating a positive workplace culture and being flexible with work schedules and developing family policies.

In Part 2, we’ll dive deeper into breaking the cycle of trauma!