Trauma, mental health and the COVID-19 crisis: are we really all in it together?

Abstract

As the world adapts to varying levels of social lockdown – and the lifting of restrictions – due to the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence is mounting that quarantine and other social restrictions negatively affect the mental health of the general population (Kumar & Nayar, 2020). This universal public health threat has impacted all communities, but there is a growing evidence base that different groups are more at risk from the virus. One group that we argue are at increased risk are survivors of childhood trauma; a population also disproportionately represented in mental health services (Sugaya et al., 2012). This editorial describes the triad of injuries impacting trauma survivors; and consider how these social, physical and psychological effects interact with the current COVID-19 pandemic. A careful balance is needed between recognising the life-changing impacts of traumatic injury whilst understanding the individual variation among survivors. Trauma aftermaths can be mitigated with access to meaningful support. We discuss evidence of increased risks to trauma survivors during the current pandemic, what specific support survivors might need, and how communities impacted by COVID-19 can learn from survivor activism.