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© British Association of Social Workers

The Psychiatrization of Post-Traumatic Distress: Issues for Social Workers

HOWARD DAVIS1

Howard Davis works part-time as an HIV Specialist Social Worker for Liverpool Social Services. He also works part-time as a Senior Research Fellow in disasters at the Centre for Studies in Crime and Social Justice, Edge Hill, a university sector college. He is co-author with Phil Scraton of Disaster, Trauma, Aftermath (forthcoming) to be published by Lawrence and Wishart.

1Howard Davis, Centre for Studies in Crime and Social Justice, Edge Hill, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QP, UK.

Summary

The psychiatric category of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is described and critiqued. Problems of definition and application may lead to the non-inclusion or minimization of some forms of post-traumatic distress. Questions of what constitute ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ reactions to trauma are raised and the depoliticization of trauma explored. The absence from the literature of sufficient acknowledgement of traumagenic actions on the part of official agencies is noted. The potential for critically informed social work interventions in prevention, mitigation and longer-term response is outlined.


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