Analysis: Understanding how symptoms are amplified by social processes has highlighted the importance of reducing stigma associated with trauma
By Anna Lashkay, Elaine Kinsella and Orla Muldoon, University of Limerick
Though traumatic events are often seen as circumscribed events affecting a minority of people, experiencing major traumatic events is remarkably common. Globally, trauma manifests in numerous forms including gender-based violence, war experiences, natural disasters and life-threatening situations.
Over half of the global population have experienced at least one adverse experience in childhood, such as emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect. Sexual violence is one of the most common forms of traumatic experiences globally with approximately one in three women experiencing intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence. Moreover, around 120 million girls worldwide have endured forced sexual acts at some point in their lives.
In Ireland the problem remains endemic and our research project has been examining the impact of this type of childhood trauma. We all know that traumatic experiences can be harmful. For the most part existing research examines trauma at a personal level. We have a reasonably good understanding of how people's personal experiences have an impact on their mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is seen as a particular risk for some.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio 1, Prof Orla Muldoon on the effects of trauma
Despite this very person-centred emphasis, social factors also influence how people experience trauma. Our ongoing programme of psychological research is investigating ways to tackle negative psychological symptoms such as post-traumatic stress through engagement with important and meaningful groups and social connections.
Membership of social groups allows us to be 'dancers’, 'athletes’ and ‘artists’, but also, ‘women’, and ‘students’ and ‘Irish’. A whole wave of research across medicine, psychology, and sociology shows that group memberships shape our experience of life. As group members, we internalise aspects of the group’s values, norms, and characteristics, and they become a natural part of who we are and how we see ourselves – they become part of our (social) identity. Social identities are often the basis upon which we connect with others. Being part of social groups and having those social identities forms the foundation of our well-being, feelings of security and psychological resilience.
On the other hand, we can become part of a group because of a traumatic experience. Victims, orphans and refugees are not born. Membership of these groups can be ones that we would prefer not to have. When people feel that these are group memberships applied to them, they can feel labelled.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Paul Gilligan from St Patrick's Mental Health Services on the continuing stigma around mental health
Many unwanted traumatic experiences share another important feature in that they are stigmatised. Adults and children can experience shame or judgment, or even blame, because of their trauma. Because of this social stigma, those affected by stigmatised trauma such as many forms of gender-based violence including rape, childhood sexual abuse, and domestic violence, often actively distance themselves from others who share similar experiences. People don’t want to see themselves as part of that stigmatised social group. The feelings of shame are too intense.
The latest findings from our trauma project show robust relationships between how well people connect with others is linked to their post-traumatic stress symptoms. This highlights the link between the personal and social dimensions of trauma. When people experience traumatic events, they often report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. A key feature of this is something known as dissociation, a mental process where a person feels disconnected from their sense of self, which people report feeling like they are watching themselves from above or watching their life as though it were a movie. Dissociation is understood as a defence mechanism that the mind uses to cope and helps people to distance themselves from their trauma and the overwhelming nature of their experiences.
In our latest research, we have shown that this active rejection, or disidentification, happens when someone belongs to a stigmatised group. Because people want to actively distance themselves from the stigma, and sometimes even the blame that goes along with being a victim of gender-based violence, any sense of common ground with others affected is rejected.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ 2fm's Jennifer Zamparelli, neuroscientist Brian Pennie on the experience of trauma
But the rejection of the stigmatised label, however subconscious, can be harmful. It actively distances people who share very difficult and traumatic experiences from those who are most likely to offer understanding, like other survivors. This can lead survivors to feel very isolated. In our studies, this disconnection appears to increase people’s symptoms of dissociation. Turning away from others facing similar challenges increases people’s distress.
Understanding how traumatic symptoms are amplified by social processes has highlighted the importance of reducing stigma associated with trauma. Equally, to cope with trauma, we need to be aware of the challenges of facing trauma alone. Social connections that offer understanding and support, as only other survivors can, are extremely important to recovery from gender-based violence and highlight the continuing need to destigmatise it in all its forms.
This research project has been funded by the European Research Council's Excellent Science programme
Follow the RTÉ Brainstorm WhatsApp channel for more stories and updates
Anna Lashkay is a researcher and PhD student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick. Dr Elaine Kinsella is an Associate Professor in psychology at the Department of Psychology and Assistant Dean of Resarch in the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Limerick. She is a former Irish Research Council awardee. Prof. Orla Muldoon is the founding professor of psychology at the University of Limerick. She is an Irish Research Council awardee.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
