DANYLIW RESEARCH SEMINAR ON CONTEMPORARY UKRAINE

Exporting the North American Semantic Expansion of Trauma to Ukraine: A Barrier to Post-War Reconstruction?

In North American mental health circles, a new phenomenon is emerging:  the semantic inflation of harm. This increasing frequency also comes with an expansion of the original concept occurring along two axes: the type of event deemed traumatic, and the level of severity needed to qualify as trauma. This framework bears risks towards allocating resources when applied to wartime conditions in Ukraine.

Rachel Thibeault is a Retired Professor of Psychology at the University ofn Ottawa (Canada), currently affiliated with Shechenko University in Kyiv (Ukraine).

INTERVIEW