Week 3: Culture and Context of Trauma

Will the trauma experienced by a 6-year-old who has survived a tornado differ from the trauma experienced by an adolescent who has survived the same event? How will their experiences compare to those of an older adult? Imagine a group of individuals who lose all of their resources as a result of a human-made disaster. Will the trauma of losing everything differ between individuals from an impoverished background and individuals who are more affluent? How does culture influence worldview and subsequent perception of the trauma? As you might imagine, there are different levels of traumatization that will, in turn, affect your professional response.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze the impact of stages of development on crisis, trauma, and disaster treatment

Analyze the impact of culture on crisis, trauma, and disaster treatment

Learning Resources

Required Readings

James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Chapter 2, “Culturally Effective Helping” (pp. 27-47)

Dass-Brailsford, P. (2008). After the storm: Recognition, recovery, and reconstruction. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(1), 24–30.

Dunn, E. C., Nishimi, K., Powers, A., & Bradley, B. (2017). Is developmental timing of trauma exposure associated with depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adulthood? Journal of Psychiatric Research, 84, 119-127.

Margolin, G., Ramos, M. C., & Guran, E. L. (2010). Earthquakes and children: The role of psychologists with families and communities. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 41(1), 1–9.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2003). Developing cultural competence in disaster mental health programs: Guiding principles and recommendations [Brochure]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma11-disaster-01.pdf

Document: Case Study: Jessie (PDF)

Pyles, L. (2017). Decolonising disaster social work: Environmental justice and community participation. British Journal of Social Work, 47(3), 630–647.