Elizabeth Reeves, PhD '18; Susan Silva, associate professor; and Janice Humphreys, professor; recently published an article entitled "Trauma-related symptoms and severity among women in the Pacific Rim" in Health Care for Women International. Co-authors include Pilar Bernal de Phelis of the University of California, San Francisco; Diva Jaramillo of Universidad de Antioquia; Tulia Uribe of Universidad de Antioquia; Agnes Tiwari or Hong Kong University; Gladys Eugenia Canaval of Universidad del Valle; Maria Eugenia Mendoza Flores of National Institute of Perinatology; and Ruth Ann Belknap of Marquette University. 

Abstract

Current understandings of the effects trauma exposure on women’s health are limited because prior research has largely focused on intimate partner and sexual violence in homogenous samples. In this descriptive study, the authors examined the relationships between lifetime trauma exposure and psychological well-being among women across the Pacific Rim. Psychological well-being differed significantly between the four locations and increased trauma exposures were related to poorer psychological well-being across and within locations. The authors report relevant findings on the relationship
between trauma exposure and psychological well-being and provide evidence for future research to enhance knowledge on the effects of trauma in women’s lives.