Trauma and Mental Health: The Development, Treatment, and Future of

Abstract

Trauma seems to be an integral part of any given society. When most people think of psychological trauma, soldiers who were engaged in battle during wartime are most often what comes to mind. However, most trauma occurs in before an individual reaches adulthood. Research has shown that dysfunction results from exposure to trauma at any given point across the lifespan. Children who suffer from trauma often grow up to be adults with psychological dysfunction, passing on this dysfunction to the next generation. The objective of this paper is to identify some of these other areas of traumatic exposure and understand how these influential factors can result in mental health disorders. This will be followed by an exploration of these disorders and various treatment interventions. We will then conclude with a personal analysis in regard to the direction we seem to be headed as a society, and where we could be headed.