Trauma psychology

What it studies

Trauma psychology studies the effects of traumatic events such as natural disasters, acts of violence and serious accidents. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that many people who live through a dangerous event have some initial symptoms but most do not develop PTSD. Exposure alone does not determine response or diagnosis; risk varies with the event, biological and social factors, earlier adversity and co-occurring conditions.

History and people

The episodes documented here are mostly American. According to the ISTSS history chapter, New York rap groups for Vietnam veterans grew out of contacts with psychiatrist Robert Lifton, including correspondence that began in November 1970, and in May 1972 Chaim Shatan published an op-ed titled Post-Vietnam Syndrome. A reference in the same chapter points to a 1985 founding meeting of the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in Atlanta. APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) was founded in 2006.

People and documented roles

• Robert Lifton. Former military psychiatrist named in the ISTSS history chapter
  • Corresponded with veterans from November 1970 and suggested regular rap groups with professional involvement in New York. [2]
• Chaim Shatan. Co-director of a postdoctoral psychoanalytic training clinic at New York University (per the ISTSS chapter); author of a 1972 op-ed
  • Wrote the New York Times op-ed "Post-Vietnam Syndrome". [2]

The history chapter names many other participants, including a social worker and veterans, but dates only some roles, so only two people are listed. The sources do not document earlier trauma research, work outside the United States, or contributors who were not tied to the Vietnam War era.

Dated milestones

• November 1970Event. Month and year.Correspondence between Jan Crumb and Robert Lifton began, from which the New York veterans rap groups evolved, per the ISTSS history chapter. [2]
• May 1972Publication. Month and year.Shatan's op-ed "Post-Vietnam Syndrome" appeared in The New York Times. [2]
• 1985Society or organization formed. Year.Founding meeting of the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in Atlanta, per a chapter excerpt on the ISTSS site; a society milestone, not the birth of the field. [2]
• 2006Society or organization formed. Year.APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) founded, per its own About page. [4]

Methods

The sources opened describe research aims rather than designs. NIMH-supported research aims to identify which survivors are likely to recover naturally and which may benefit from treatment, and to develop medications, psychotherapies and device-based treatments. Evidence about risk comes from studying features of events, biological and social factors, and earlier experiences.

Training and applications

ISTSS members include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses and counselors, so practice is multi-professional. NIMH-supported research also aims to deliver effective treatment across settings and populations, including children, teens and young adults. The sources opened do not describe a credential specific to trauma psychology; titles and licenses are set by regulators in each jurisdiction, not by this guide.

Evidence behind the claims

• NIMH says PTSD may be diagnosed when symptoms persist for an extended time after a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, act of violence or serious accident and interfere with daily life, and that although many people who live through a dangerous event have initial symptoms, most do not develop PTSD.

  What it studiesThe organization's own descriptionSource: [1]Where: Opening overview paragraphs

• NIMH lists features of the traumatic event, biological and social factors, earlier adversity especially in childhood, and co-occurring conditions such as depression, substance use or anxiety disorders as factors that make PTSD more likely.

  What it studiesThe organization's own descriptionSource: [1]Where: Risk factors section

• NIMH-supported research aims to identify which trauma survivors are likely to recover naturally and which may benefit from treatment, to develop more effective medications, psychotherapies and device-based treatments, and to deliver effective treatment across settings and populations, including children, teens and young adults.

  MethodsThe organization's own descriptionSource: [1]Where: Research section of the page

• According to the history chapter on the ISTSS site, New York rap groups for Vietnam veterans, with professional involvement suggested by psychiatrist Robert Lifton, grew out of a meeting and out of correspondence between Jan Crumb and Lifton that began in November 1970, linked to Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

  History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Early part of the chapter, on the origin of the rap groups

• In May 1972 Chaim Shatan published a New York Times op-ed titled "Post-Vietnam Syndrome" describing symptoms later called PTSD.

  History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Chapter text and reference list, May 1972 entry

• The chapter excerpt on the ISTSS history page cites a founding meeting of the Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in Atlanta in 1985; the date comes from a reference to a 1985 presentation, so it is secondhand within the excerpt.

  History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Reference list near the end of the excerpt

• ISTSS says it provides a forum for the sharing of research, clinical strategies, public policy concerns and theoretical formulations on trauma, and that its members include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, counselors, researchers, administrators and advocates.

  Training and applicationsThe organization's own descriptionSource: [3]Where: Mission statement and membership description

• APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) says it was founded in 2006 to make trauma and its effects a central concern within the American Psychological Association and to bring together clinicians, researchers, educators and policy makers.

  History and peopleThe organization's own descriptionSource: [4]Where: About us text

Where it appears

University examples

• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur: Psychology (research area or group)
• University of Cape Town: Department of Psychology (department)

Examples show documented structures. They are not a ranking, a census, or a statement about admission or licensing.

In the Psy101 course

• OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 14.2: StressorsChapter 14, Stress, Lifestyle, and Health. Topic reading. Nearest related reading; direct coverage of this field has not been verified.Stressors is the nearest related reading on stressful events and responses.
• OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 14.3: Stress and IllnessChapter 14, Stress, Lifestyle, and Health. Topic reading. Nearest related reading; direct coverage of this field has not been verified.Stress and illness is the nearest related reading on health effects of stress.

This is course relevance only. It is not evidence for the historical or practice claims on this page.See the full course map.

Sources and inspection

4 of 4 sources were opened and read at the level shown. A source marked as not verified supports no claim on this page by itself.

1. [1]
   Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)National Institute of Mental Health, 2024. Reference work. Supports the definition of the area.Selected text readRead the definition, risk factor and research sections through a fetch tool; the page was last reviewed December 2024 and does not detail treatments.
2. [2]
   History of ISTSSInternational Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, undated. Society history. Supports the history.Selected text readRead the chapter by Sandra L. Bloom ('Our Hearts and Our Hopes are Turned to Peace: Origins of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies') through a fetch tool. It has no timeline list; the 1985 meeting appears only in a reference-list entry. The full chapter and the Journal of Traumatic Stress start date were not read.
3. [3]
   About ISTSSInternational Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, undated. Professional association. Supports the definition of the area.Selected text readRead the mission and membership description through a fetch tool; the page does not state a founding year.
4. [4]
   About usAPA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology), undated. Professional association. Supports the history.Selected text readRead the short About page through a fetch tool, which gave the founding year and purpose; the page is hosted on a learning-platform subdomain rather than the division's main site.

Independent source review: Claude Code reviewer agent, separate from the writer, 2026-10-21. Verdict: Admitted after corrections. Of 8 claims checked, 6 were supported as written, 2 were reworded and 0 were removed.

Related fields and elsewhere on Psy101

• Clinical psychology
• Health psychology
• Addiction psychology
• Clinical child and adolescent psychology