Loss and Psychotrauma

Course goals

Content

Over the lifetime, almost every human being is confronted with major stressful life events: e.g., death of a loved one, sexual abuse, physical violence, life threatening illness, divorce, job loss, and crime and violence. On a more global scale, one can think of war, natural or man-made disaster and forced migration. People can respond in a variety of ways with different emotional reactions to such events. Most people confronted with such events only experience transient symptoms and manage to maintain relatively stable healthy functioning, a response that is often referred to as resilience. However, a significant minority of people confronted with loss and trauma develops serious psychological and physical health problems, causing persistent distress and disability. For instance, loss may precipitate prolonged grief disorder (PGD), while trauma may result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, such events are related to an increased risk of developing a broader range of other psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders, as well as physical disorders such as cardiovascular disease.

In the master course Loss and Psychotrauma, the mental health consequences of major life events related to loss and trauma are considered in terms of their manifestations and course, risk and protective factors, and theoretical explanations. Their societal and clinical relevance is explored. The broad spectrum of normal (or healthy) and complicated (or unhealthy) reactions is addressed, covering roles lay persons, counsellors, and psychotherapists can play in helping those exposed to these events to recover from its consequences. Theoretical models explaining persistent psychological problems following loss and trauma, as well as psychotherapeutic interventions based on these models will be addressed. Furthermore, during the course, diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM-5, DSM-5-TR, and ICD-11) and assessment instruments and evidence-based interventions for trauma- and stressor-related disorders (e.g., CBT, EMDR, NET) will be introduced and discussed.