Management of Traumatized Patients

Trauma results when an event or experience results in lasting adverse effects on physical, social, emotional or spiritual well-being. Although most individuals who have experienced a traumatic event do not develop post-traumatic stress disorder, the risks for developing mental and physical sequelae are broad. A traumatic event is defined by the experience (ie, of perceived threat, loss of control, helplessness), not solely by the event's objective severity. In this context, relational and developmental trauma, as well as medical/iatrogenic trauma, intergenerational trauma, community violence, and structural traumas impact mental and physical health. Understanding the potential sources of trauma and their sequelae allows psychiatrists to provide a framework for assessing an individual's lifetime exposures to potentially traumatic events and navigating the assessment and treatment through a trauma-informed approach to optimize treatment engagement.