Trauma and Health

Graduate / Professional

The majority of people will be exposed to one or more traumatic events over the course of their lives. Although exposure to trauma is associated with increased risk for myriad adverse consequences for health and well-being, most survivors are resilient and “bounce back” to their pre-trauma levels of functioning. This course engages students in understanding the factors that shape both exposure to traumatic events and the variability in post-trauma outcomes, with a focus on trauma-related mental health conditions. The first half of the course provides foundational information on the assessment and epidemiology of traumatic events; mental and physical health conditions associated with trauma exposure; biological and sociocultural factors that influence trauma exposure and post-trauma outcomes; and public health and clinical approaches to preventing and mitigating trauma. The second half allows for application of this foundational information to specific trauma types (e.g., sexual violence, disasters), based in part on student interest. Assignments require students to critically evaluate state-of-the-science research on trauma and health; identify and explain an intervention or policy geared toward preventing or mitigating trauma; and synthesize empirical literature on a topic of their choice related to trauma and health. T 10am-11:50am