social epidemiology historical trauma or intergenerational trauma

In a study on Lakota elders, it was found that both individual and family-wide mental health was affected by trauma. Finding that these two groups had endured persistent mass trauma and that their children’s mental health was affected was groundbreaking at that time and built the foundation for historical trauma research today. Starting in the 1960s, knowledge of historical trauma emerged from the stories of those who endured the Holocaust and its impact on subsequent generations, as well as the experiences of Japanese Americans placed in internment camps after World War II (Evans-Campbell, 2008 Sotero, 2006). from massive group trauma” (Brave Heart, Chase, Elkins, & Altschul, 2011, p. Compounding individual trauma is historical trauma, defined as the “cumulative psychological and emotional wounding across generations.

Those with individual histories of trauma may be more likely to experience negative behavioral health outcomes, as well as decreases in daily functioning and quality of life. Important to illustrating sources of risk and markers of reduced health/mental health, historical trauma places importance not just on the individual, but in the communities’ experience of a negative event or events (Sotero, 2006). The notion of a shared story over time is deemed historical trauma (Mohatt, Thompson, Thai, & Tebes, 2014). Individual trauma histories are encapsulated within a larger trauma narrative over time, this narrative may accumulate into a multigenerational shared account of events that have harmful effects on functioning and quality of life. Our previous article on trauma-informed care highlighted the fact that social workers often work with individuals who may have complex histories of abuse and violence alongside their biopsychosocialspiritual needs (Kawam & Martinez, 2016). One such context in particular, the historical realm, can provide further depth in appreciating antecedents to social and behavioral problems that have an impact on our communities and clients.

To be effective in the work that we do as social workers at all levels, it is important to understand ecological and social context.

Social epidemiology historical trauma or intergenerational trauma