Prevalence and impact of trauma:

Research shows 55 – 70% of adults experience at least one traumatic event during their lifetime and 14 – 43% experience at least one traumatic event during childhood.

Common responses to overwhelming experiences include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, dissociative disorders, self-harming behavior’s, suicidal ideation, depression, family violence and other perpetrating behaviour. Mental health challenges as a consequence of discrimination, bullying and harassment are higher in First Nation peoples and LGBTQIA+ communities .

A multitude of factors influence an individual’s response to trauma; the nature of the event(s), age the event(s) occurred, support systems, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetics, and temperament to name a few. Through a trauma informed lens these responses are viewed as adaptations or accommodations to trauma rather than something ‘wrong’ with the individual.

The process of a legal case, mediation, court or workplace investigation oftentimes exacerbates and compounds the original distressing experience through the requirement to revisit it through interviews multiple times, often by many people and in situations and environments experienced as hostile by people not conversant in a trauma informed approach.

This training outlines the prevalence of trauma, types of traumatic experiences and the far-reaching impacts on psychosocial wellbeing. This understanding provides lawyers, mediators, human resources and other roles that involve interaction with traumatised people a better understanding of how to support clients or colleagues through a challenging process.