Redefining Trauma in the Era of a Global Pandemic

In the past few years, our sense of what is normal has been deeply shaken. More people now work remotely than ever before. In addition, the pandemic has changed our way of life, and our ability to spend time with loved ones and has even kept us from the places we like to visit. We have lost friends, family and colleagues to this deadly virus. In the aftermath, many people have reported an increase in psychiatric symptoms. In short, the pandemic has created a level of distress many of us were not prepared to manage.

The American Psychological Association (2022) defines trauma as “Any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting, negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior and other aspects of functioning.” Trauma can result from human behavior such as a war, or from natural disasters like an earthquake. Trauma can challenge our sense of safety and predictability and leave use feeling vulnerable.

We have seen a tremendous increase in the number of clients coming to our hospitals, community agencies and private practice settings. These individuals report a variety of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, panic and additional symptoms, including sleep disturbances and increased substance use. Mental health professionals are recognizing these symptoms as responses to trauma. Not everyone will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from their experiences, but untreated, many will develop these debilitating symptoms. Mathilde et al. (2021) published a literature review on research involving PTSD in the context of the pandemic: In the research, general population samples revealed that, on average, more than one in four of those who participated in these studies reported moderate to severe post-traumatic symptoms.

In the era of a global pandemic, understanding trauma is more important than ever. We must make more services available to those suffering from trauma. By recognizing mental health as another casualty of the pandemic, we can begin the work of providing appropriate treatment. As we redefine trauma for this era, behavioral health care can be the first responder we need.