Psychological Trauma Learning Path

Definition and scope of psychological trauma

Psychological trauma (also called mental/psychiatric trauma, emotional damage, or psychotrauma) is an emotional response to severe distressing events—such as bodily injury, sexual violence, or threats to life of the person or their loved ones. Indirect exposure (for example, watching distressing news) can be extremely distressing and may trigger an involuntary physiological stress response, but it does not always result in trauma. Common examples include violence, sexual assault, childhood abuse, the death of a loved one, and mass-casualty events like terrorist attacks or natural disasters. The scope of psychological trauma includes both short-term and long-term effects. Short-term reactions may involve shock and denial, while longer-term outcomes can include intrusive re-experiencing (flashbacks), panic attacks, insomnia and nightmares, emotional dysregulation, difficulties in relationships, and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brief psychotic disorder. People vary in their responses: most who experience potentially traumatic events do not become psychologically traumatized, and differences in risk are linked to protective factors such as resilience and the availability of support and treatment. Psychotraumatology is the study of psychological trauma, and the topic also covers related concepts like situational trauma, stress disorders, moral injury, and vicarious trauma (trauma experienced by workers exposed to clients’ trauma).

0/2 modes complete

Distressing events that can cause trauma

0/2 modes complete