Experience of trauma can contribute to development of many different forms of mental illness such as psychosis, schizophrenia, eating disorders, personality disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, alcohol and substance use disorders, and self-harm and suicide-related behaviours (Heim et al. 2010; Phoenix Australia 2019). Childhood trauma experiences not only increase the risk of onset of mental illness but also affect clinical course and responses to treatment. Previous research has shown that 90% of public mental health clients have been exposed to (and most have actually experienced) multiple experiences of trauma (Jennings 2004).
57–75% of Australians will experience a potentially traumatic event at some point in their lives (Mills et al. 2011; Rosenman 2002). International studies estimate that 62–68% of young people will have been exposed to at least 1 traumatic event by the age of 17 (Copeland et al. 2007; McLaughlin et al. 2013).
62–68% of young people will have been exposed
Every person reacts differently to traumatic events. Most children cope well following trauma. Some children are distressed but recover fairly quickly. For others, symptoms continue and may even increase over time and result in problems in academic, social, emotional and behavioural functioning. Trauma can involve single or multiple experiences that usually affect entire families and we know that the way family's respond and support children are critical to the child's outcomes.
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Almost one-third of Australians under 18 experience the loss of a parent (through divorce, separation or death), One in 20 Australian children experience the death of one or both parents. The length of time from bereavement to treatment for children aged between 8-13 yrs is on average, 17.5 months.
Bereaved children often feel different and alone in their grief, leading to social withdrawal and isolation. They may have difficulty staying socially and academically engaged. It is also common for bereaved children to experience anxiety due to the dramatically changed circumstances at home.
Physical impacts of grief include: shortness of breath; loss of appetite; crying; fatigue and sleep problems. ...
Emotional impacts of grief include: numbness; loneliness and emptiness; anger and resentment; confusion; deep and ongoing sadness; and a loss of interest in things that used to bring pleasure.
Feelings of grief are very subjective, different people will be affected in different ways, we must examine the impact of grief by assessing the severity of the loss and by delving into people’s grief journeys by looking at past trauma histories, coping mechanisms and their capacities to reach out in times of despair and confusion. In exploring the world of grief and loss we must be familiar with the way people grieve in order to work with them. Issues surrounding gender and working with young people are just two examples of this.
The effects of grief can often resemble depression and some people do go on to develop depression following a significant loss. If you are dealing with a major loss and finding it difficult to cope, see your doctor.
Immediately after a death, those left behind often feel shocked, numb and in denial, particularly if the death was unexpected.
When they are able to start to understand the reality of death, they can experience intense sadness, emptiness or loneliness, and sometimes anger or guilt.
Emotions
People might feel or act differently to usual. They might have difficulty concentrating, withdraw and not enjoy their usual activities. They might drink, smoke or use drugs, or have thoughts of hurting themselves or that they can’t go on.
Physical health
Grief can be exhausting and this may weaken the immune system, making people prone to colds and other illness. Grief can affect the appetite and lead to changes in weight. It can affect sleep and leave people feeling very tired. It can also lead to stomach aches, headaches and body aches.
Spiritual life
Some people may experience dreams about their loved one, feeling their presence or hearing their voice. People who are grieving often search for meaning and examine their spiritual beliefs.
Post-traumatic growth
Some people find positive experiences following grief and loss, such as a new sense of wisdom, maturity and meaning in life.
Complicated grief and depression
In some people, grief can be prolonged or more intense, and it may interfere with their ability to cope with everyday life. This may be more likely if the loss was particularly traumatic, such as a suicide or death of a child.
The feelings can be painful, constant or overwhelming. Grief can come in waves, seeming to fade away for a while and then return again. But over time, the feelings gradually subside.
Everybody reacts to grief differently.
Common feelings include:
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Experiences as a child can impact on future development through learned behaviours and access to resources and support networks. The experience of parental divorce or separation, or the death of a parent can potentially impact adversely on a child's psychological wellbeing and their economic and social success as adults.
Parental divorce or death can affect a child in a number of ways. In the short term, there is the initial trauma of the loss and adjusting to life without the parent. For those who find themselves in a one-parent family, the adjustment is often accompanied by greater risk of economic disadvantage either through the loss of the main income earner, or the reduced labour force participation of the remaining parent as they assume the sole caring role.
Children of separated parents have twice the rate of serious mental health problems and substance abuse and twice as likely to attempt suicide than children of parents in intact families.
Research shows that parental divorce/separation is associated with an increased risk for children and adolescent problems, including academic difficulties, disruptive behaviours and depressed moods.
In 2019, 113,815 marriages were registered and 49,116 divorced were granted in Australia.
There are concerns that the difficulties associated with family breakdown or the loss of a parent and the ensuing challenges of living in a sole parent family could lead to lower levels of educational and later occupational attainment by children who grow up in sole parent families.
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Persisting mental health problems are a common consequence of child abuse and neglect in adults. Mental health problems associated with past histories of child abuse and neglect include personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorders, depression, anxiety disorders and psychosis. It has been proven that adults who experiencedchild abuse are two and a half times more likely to have major depression and six times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder compared to adults who had not experienced abuse . The likelihood of such consequences increased substantially if adults had experienced child abuse along with parental divorce
Studies have found that children who were physically abused or experienced multiple types of abuse were at increased risk of lifetime major depressive disorder in early adulthood.
The impact of child abuse is different for every child and is dependent on a range of factors including:
Research over the past decades in the fields of neuroscience and psychiatry has provided some helpful frameworks in which to understand the impact of child abuse on children’s development and mental health.
When children are living in violent and abusive environments their focus and attention is on staying safe and not on refining developmental goals. They spend much of their time in a hypervigilant state,
a state where we know learning does not occur. In conjunction with this, a child's primary carer, may also be in a hypervigilant state, focused on keeping themselves and their child as safe as possible from an abusive partner.
Children form a view of themselves and of others by how their primary carers treat them. If those that are meant to protect us hurt us emotionally, physically or sexually, our view of our own worth and the trustworthiness of others is likely to be compromised.Children who have suffered abuse often struggle to negotiate appropriate relationships with adults and their peers. Common patterns include:
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Children who have suffered abuse often:
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where we feel under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed.
Everyone feels anxious from time to time. When anxious feelings don't go away, happen without any particular reason or make it hard to cope with daily life it may be the sign of an anxiety condition.
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. On average, one in four people – one in three women and one in five men – will experience anxiety at some stage in their life1. In a 12-month period, over two million Australians experience anxiety2.
There are many ways to help manage anxiety and the sooner people with anxiety get support, the more likely they are to recover.
Anxiety is the body’s physical response to a threat or perceived threat. It causes a pounding heart, rapid breathing, butterflies in the stomach and a burst of energy as well as mental responses such as excessive fears, worries or obsessive thinking.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It helps us to avoid danger by giving us energy and alertness to escape. But for some people, anxious feelings don’t go away. They can see situations as much worse than they really are, and their anxiety affects their ability to concentrate, sleep and carry out ordinary tasks. These feelings can be caused by anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental health conditions in Australia and affect 1 in 4 Australians at some stage in their life.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
You may have an anxiety disorder if you often feel scared, worried or nervous, or if you always worry that something bad is going to happen.
Anxiety can affect someone’s ability to concentrate, sleep and carry out ordinary tasks at work, home or school. People with anxiety disorders often feel they have to avoid stressful situations and, in extreme cases, avoid going out altogether.
__________________________________________The common types of anxiety disorders are:
One in 16 Australians is currently experiencing depression. Breakdown: 6.2% of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced an affective disorder in the last 12 months. This is equivalent to 1.16 million people today. Message: One in seven Australians is currently experiencing an anxiety condition.
Depression has high lifetime prevalence - one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. Depression has the third highest burden of all diseases in Australia (13%) and also third globally.
In addition, depression is the number one cause of non-fatal disability in Australia (23%). This means that on average, people with depression live with this disability for a higher number of years than people suffering from other non-fatal diseases such as hearing loss and dementia.
The World Health Organisation estimates that depression will be the number one health concern in both the developed and developing nations by 2030.Depression is among the most common of all mental health conditions, and impacts many Australians every day.
While we all get sad, feel low or lacking in energy at times, people with depression experience these feelings more intensely and for longer. They can find it difficult to carry on with regular daily tasks during periods of depression.
Depression is common — it affects 1 in 16 Australians each year. If you or someone you care about is experiencing an episode of intensely low mood remember that depression can be treated and support is available. It’s important to seek help.
While anyone with depression can experience any symptom, men and women tend to experience and report symptoms differently. Men are more likely to talk about the physical symptoms of depression such as feeling tired, irritable or angry, rather than saying they feel low.
If you or someone you care about has been experiencing these signs and symptoms for 2 weeks or more, it’s time to get some help from a health professional, such as your GP.
Types of depressive disorder
There are several types of depression, and while they are all characterised by intense low mood, there are also important differences.
Major depression is also known as major depressive disorder. The most recognised symptom is low mood and loss of interest in activities that were once considered pleasurable. These symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, but will probably interfere with daily life and relationships. The low mood will persist for at least 2 weeks, and will be experienced on most days. Sub-types of major depression include:
Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme mood changes that disrupt daily life. Symptoms of manic episodes include showing extremely high energy in speech and activity, agitation and a reduced need for sleep.
Symptoms of depressive episodes are similar to those of major depression. People who have bipolar disorder can also experience episodes of psychosis (hallucinations, delusions and/or paranoia).
Cyclothymic disorder is sometimes described as a milder form of bipolar disorder. The person experiences changing moods for at least 2 years. They have periods of hypomania (a mild-to-moderate level of mania) and episodes of depressive symptoms. They may also have very short periods of even moods, with fewer than 2 months in between. Symptoms tend to be less severe and are shorter lasting than in bipolar disorder or major depression. Dysthymic disorder is similar to major depression but with fewer severe symptoms that persist for at least 2 years.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder (either depression or mania) that has a seasonal pattern. Depressive symptoms tend to start in winter and fade by spring. It can take several winters to diagnose this type of depression. SAD is thought to be triggered by changes in exposure to light in the winter and is more prevalent in countries with short days and long periods of darkness, such as in the cold climate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. SAD is very rare in Australia.
Perinatal and postnatal depression occurs during pregnancy or after the birth of a baby and affects up to 1 in every 5 women in Australia. It is associated with the challenges and demands of parenthood as well as changes in hormones. For men, new routines and roles can also trigger depression. While tiredness and irritability is normal during pregnancy and after the baby is born, if you or your partner experience low mood that persists for more than 2 weeks, it’s important to talk to your GP about whether it may be perinatal depression.
All types of depression can be treated and the earlier you seek support, the better. Speak with your doctor about which treatment might be most effective for you.
What are the symptoms of depression?Symptoms of depression involve the way a person feels, thinks and behaves. There are also physical signs of depression. People with depression may feel:
People with depression may have recurring negative thoughts, such as:
People with depression may also have altered behaviours, such as:
People with depression may experience these physical symptoms:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. Some people develop PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event. People affected may feel anxious and highly vigilant, and have intrusive thoughts and memories of the trauma. With treatment, people with PTSD can make a full recovery.
The facts
Feeling strong reactions such as fear, anger or sadness are natural after a traumatic event. For most people, these feelings will pass with time and support from friends and family. For people who develop PTSD, these feelings are intensely distressing and if left untreated, can last for a long time.
The symptoms of PTSD may interfere with the person’s ability to carry on their everyday life, work and relationships. PTSD is identified by four main groups of symptoms:
__________________________________________If a person has been through a traumatic event and has experienced a combination of the above symptoms for a month or more, then they may be experiencing PTSD. People with PTSD are at a higher risk of developing other anxiety disorders, substance abuse issues, and mood disorders such as depression.
Trauma can involve single or multiple experiences that usually affect entire families and we know that the way family’s respond and support children are critical to the child's outcomes.
Australian Bureau of Statistics