Presidential Voice

Carolyn Allard, Ph.D. 

THIS YEAR… Some days it has felt like it has been going by slower than dial-up, but mostly it has gone by faster than a rolling “O,” or even like I blinked some time back in March and suddenly found myself in October. Collectively, we have spent and foresee continuing to spend countless hours and energy managing, juggling, troubleshooting, creating, re-creating, listening, reflecting, learning, helping, with no clear end in sight. Our hearts have been broken by so much loss, betrayal, and violence, and buoyed by so much courage, compassion and beauty. Let us each keep being the source of the latter for each other. Read Full Article

Editor's Note

Jonathan Cleveland, PhD

Dear Readers,

Time has flown by; this issue concludes my three-year tenure as editor of Trauma Psychology News. Interacting with delightful Division members and affiliates has been a wonderful experience. I will miss collaborating with my excellent editorial team. Indeed, without Dr. Wyatt Evans, associate editor, and Dr. Jessica Berndt, editorial assistant, creating TPN would not have been possible. I am also grateful for the tireless efforts and consistent communications of section editors... Read Full Article

Book Review

Review of: Mindfulness Skills for Trauma and PTSD: Practices for Recovery and Resilience by Rachel Goldsmith Turow

Book Review By:
Vivian Khedari, MA & Simon A. Rego, PsyD, ABPP, A-CBT

Rachel Goldsmith Turow’s (2017) Mindfulness Skills for Trauma and PTSD is an excellent guide for mental health providers working with trauma survivors. The author presents her own eloquent and well-paced explanations for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and rationale for incorporating mindfulness practice while dexterously integrating sections on scientific research... Read Full Review

Featured Article

Older adults are the group most vulnerable to isolation and loneliness even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and early data suggest that COVID-19 exacerbated these feelings and might be associated with both an increase in psychological distress among individuals who did not suffer from such symptoms before, as well as an intensification of distress in older adults who suffered from mental health problems before the pandemic (Serafini et al., 2020; for observations from across the globe, see: Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, Policy, July and September issues, 2020). It is therefore important to recognize potentially vulnerable older adults... Full Article

Featured Article

Nearly three out of 20 individuals, or 42 million people, in the United States report having a disability (Houtenville & Boege, 2019), with these numbers increasing over time (American Community Survey; Kraus et al., 2018). Disability can be broadly referred to as any physical, intellectual, sensory, or developmental impairment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). These impairments affect individuals in multiple dimensions, such as impacting a person's body or mental structure or function, limiting activities (e.g. difficulty with moving, hearing, seeing, social cues, problem solving, etc.), and restricting participation in daily activities (World Health Organization, 2001). Despite the prevalence of individuals with disabilities and potentially traumatic experiences related to disabling events, there is a major gap in the literature... Full Article

Multicultural & Diversity

TThe Coronavirus pandemic has aggravated many issues throughout the world. The lockdowns and regulations imposed by different governments have led many to face unprecedented circumstances. Honduras, a country unfortunately known for its high rates of poverty, violence, and inequity, is no exception. Since the declaration of the pandemic in March 2020, the Honduran government mandated complete lockdowns for its entire population of 10 million (The World Bank, 2020). This has led to a spike of unemployment, health and socio-political crises, as well as an exacerbation of the on-going educational crisis. Full Article

Student Spotlight

International

Migration due to wars, conflict, and persecution worldwide continues to unfold, with the number of people having fled internationally or displaced within their country reaching unprecedented levels according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  In response to this humanitarian crisis, an APA interdivisional initiative was developed to create a database of volunteer psychologists and mental health specialists... Full Article

Announcement

On February 2020 COVID-19 was officially recognized as a new virus, never before seen in humans. COVID-19 quickly spread around the world, creating a global health and economic crisis. As of February, approximately 2,886,267 people have contracted the virus in the United States and 129,811 have died (WHO, 2020). Despite local efforts to control the outbreak, the US has experienced increasingly high number of cases, with states setting record number of daily infections. Some of those efforts have included sheltering in place, personal protective equipment policies and cessation of non-essential services. Consequently, the measures have increased the unemployment rate in the United States... Full Article

Who's Who

Poem

Like eyes adjusting to the light after a long dark night, this civic unrest has jump started a shock to my system, a restlessness in my mind, body, and spirit that I cannot shake.

My inhales are heavy with desperation. I exhale a tormented, trapped breath. A breath that until recently, has been housed for years within my lungs, as I hear the recent conversations. Read Full Poem

Poem