(CLOSED) Definition of Trauma
This forum serves as an opportunity for the public — including SAMHSA stakeholders — to provide feedback and ideas on: The working Definition of Trauma
Current Working Definition:
Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically and emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.
For more information, please refer to the complete paper: SAMHSA’s Working Definition of Trauma and Principles and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (http://www.samhsa.gov/traumajustice/traumadefinition/index.aspx)
Help on using this tool is available in our FAQ section (http://www.samhsa.gov/about/feedback.aspx) and you can contact SAMHSA at newmedia@samhsa.hhs.gov for more assistance
This forum will close on Friday, December 21st at midnight Eastern Time.
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The summary working definition is a good starting point but I think the lengthier working statement does more justice to the complexity of t
The summary working definition is a good starting point but I think the lengthier working statement does more justice to the complexity of trauma. There may be a trauma taxonomy/ language that I'm unaware of but I do think there may be fundamental differences in the dynamics of an individual's trauma experience depending on whether the causation was based in interpersonal or family relationships vs in community - based event or large scale disaster. The "who or what" that created the trauma is important in framing the responses to it. Similarly there are dynamics distinctions between privately- based( eg child…
1 vote -
2 votes
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Physical Complications
I agree with the current working definition. As a family member and advocate, this describes my experience with trauma with my family member. Just as the definition says it had lasting adverse effects on the individual's physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. In so much as my family member died a year ago at an early age.
1 vote -
Working definition accurate, but not precise
I appreciate the current working definition for "trauma". I also know that there is much work to do to enhance the definition so that it is more broadly accepted and more well-defined.
As a trauma survivor, no one has to tell me what the definition should be. I feel the effects quite often, both individually and within my community. This was the case on 2 July 1984.
At age 10, I witnessed my mother, Jacqueline and my 12 year-old brother, Anthony, get shot and killed by my mother's estranged boyfriend, Marshall. Marshall took his own life that day, but not…
1 vote -
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health - comments on Part One: Defining Trauma
The following comments are submitted by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health. We are encouraged by SAMHSA’s ongoing work and interest in trauma and trauma-informed approaches, and we appreciate this opportunity to provide comment.
Part One: Defining Trauma
We suggest adding a statement regarding resiliency in the section titled, “What do we mean by Trauma? The Three R’s,” acknowledging that resiliency factors can also affect how a person is impacted by trauma and can mitigate some of the potentially adverse effects of trauma.
We suggest a change to the phrase “individual’s cultural beliefs (e.g., the subjugation…
1 vote -
Recommendations from National Center for Child Traumatic Stress/National Child Traumatic Stress Network (final)
The National Center for Child Traumatic Stress appreciates the opportunity to comment on the working definition of trauma; the ideas related to a trauma-informed approach; and the suggested guidelines for implementing a trauma-informed approach. NCCTS staff and members of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) contributed to this effort, but are concerned that many potentially serious problems remain with the current drafts; these problems may hamper the implementation of a comprehensive trauma-informed approach. More details are below, but the NCCTS/NCTSN members are also available to assist with a revision.
The concerns regarding the definition fall into 3 main areas:
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4 votes -
I define trauma as an event that is life-threatening or that severely compromises the emotional well-being of an individual or causes intens
I define trauma as an event that is life-threatening or that severely compromises the emotional well-being of an individual or causes intense fear.
1 vote -
Generally good, although the word "event" may be limiting and the examples used to illustrate institutional trauma are extreme
Much of the trauma that lands people into behavioral health treatment is pervasive and chronic, so the word "event" seems to be lacking to some degree. Also, using the obvious "restraints & seclusion" example to illustrate seemingly benevolent treatment-related re-traumatization neglects the more over-arching & common aspects of treatment many find to be so distressful, such as infantilizing, retaliation practices, disrespectful providers, lack of voice in policy-making, etc etc.
5 votes -
Availability of resources
The section on community trauma should also note that the availability of resources in a given community to handle a traumatic event can also determine the lasting impact of trauma. For example, communities that are economically disadvantaged or lack resources to help members recover from their losses and/or provide them adequate access to mental health professionals may be impacted by the traumatic event for a longer period of time than communities that have more resources.
3 votes -
Community's response to an individual's trauma
The section on community trauma should also note that a community’s response to an individual experiencing trauma can play an important role in the individual’s ability to recover. If a community neglects or responds negatively to an individual who has experienced a traumatic event, the individual may be further traumatized or have difficulty recovering. On the other hand, if a community understands and strongly supports an individual experiencing trauma, his/her recovery process will likely be easier. Furthermore, it should also be recognized that some immigrant groups that move to the United States bring trauma from certain cultural practices they have…
2 votes -
Normalized trauma
In addition to the examples provided in the section on community trauma, we propose adding that there is also trauma that gets normalized to the point that the individual(s) experiencing it do not realize that they are traumatized. For example, an individual who lives in a community inflicted with gun violence may get desensitized to seeing or hearing about violent deaths /homicides so frequently that s/he would consider it a normal part of life
3 votes -
Social Support
In the third paragraph after the definition, we propose adding that the type and amount of social support an individual receives after experiencing a traumatic event can often determine whether or not that individual develops PTSD or long lasting effects of trauma.
2 votes -
Re-triggering of trauma
In the second after the definition in this section, we propose that you add that trauma that is considered “healed” can often be re-triggered by events that remind the individual of their previous traumatic experience(s).
3 votes -
Recommendations from The National Center on Family Homelessness
•The definition should qualify that traumatic events or circumstances are outside of what is usual to avoid understanding any stressful experience as traumatic.
•The definition should include reference to the neurophysiological aspects of a traumatic experience and the effects of that experience.
•The definition should frame the effects of trauma within the context of development to ensure inclusion of child and adult experiences.
•The current definition refers to trauma as having “lasting adverse effects” which implies that all experiences of trauma result in long-term challenges. The definition should allow for a range of possible impact that includes short-term and/or long…2 votes -
I appreciated the idea that the community definition of trauma can be passed down generation after generation.
I liked including in the community part of the definition that trauma can be passed down generation to generation
4 votes -
3 votes
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Including Community Context in the Definition
As a Clinical Community Psychologist working in a community based organization, I appreciate that you include the context of the community within the description of the definition. I wonder if there can be acknowledgement of this within the actual definition?
1 vote -
The working definition, as listed, is a person-centered definition versus thedefinition one might find in Webster's or online.
The definition found online minimizes the experience of the individual whereas the working definition captures that trauma is experienced by one individual very differently than it might be experienced by another. It takes into account culture,community and event in a way that does not appear to be considered in the more mainstream definition(s) of trauma. The only thing that might be considered for change is amend the term "threatening" to "life threatening".
1 vote -
The definition is self referential. You have to have the result to have the thing itself. This does not work. Trauma is trauma
Regardless of the reaction or interpretation of the person/persons experiencing the event, the event did happen. Everyone who expereinces the event directly or indirectly is impacted by the event, if in no other way than to have a new neuronal pathway with the memory. What people do with the event may vary, many times depending on the resiliency of the person and the environment.
As adverse childhood events are the greatest indicator of adult mental health issues, it is important to address the trauma immediately and not when the effects show up sometime later.
7 votes -
Agreement
The fomulation of trauma as involving an event, a difficult subjective experience,and lasting adverse effects (three E's) is very well done.
11 votes
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