Citation

Kalin NH. Am. J. Psychiatry 2021; 178(11): 985-987.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21090916

PMID

34734745

Abstract

This issue of the Journal is dedicated to the topics of adversity, trauma, and suicide, which are clearly intertwined with each other. Trauma and adversity are major factors that underpin psychopathology. While trauma is specifically linked to PTSD, trauma is also a transdiagnostic factor that increases the risk for almost all psychiatric illnesses. Adversity and trauma are also associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation and suicide in both children and adults (1, 2). Adversity-related deleterious outcomes vary depending on the time of life during which the adverse events are experienced, the type of adversity, and their duration. These factors also interact with various individual factors (e.g., genetics, temperament, parental or social support), as well as community factors such as the availability of resources that can serve to mitigate the effects of trauma. There is no question that individuals from marginalized and underprivileged communities face greater levels of ongoing adversity, and it is important to emphasize that racism itself is traumatic. When occurring during childhood, adversity and associated trauma can be particularly damaging as their effects can have an impact on psychosocial, emotional, and cognitive development. One likely mechanism by which this occurs is via the influences of trauma on the brain systems that underlie the normal developmental trajectories of these functions. In particular, animal model research has elucidated the impacts of adverse environments on neuroplastic processes that support learning, memory, fear responding, and emotion regulation...

Language: en

Keywords

Stress; Alzheimer's Disease; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Suicide and Self-Harm