Rebecca Smith

ENG-112 - Argumentative Essay

Nov. 3rd, 2019

Mental Health or Hoax

Many people feel that mental health has been made into a joke. It is only beginning to be

taken seriously. Trauma and mental health are not the same, but trauma does affect mental

health. Many people suffer from trauma, whether it is during childhood or adulthood, but the

effects that the trauma causes on the brain is still unknown because trauma is different in

everyone. The difference between blaming real mental issues for the actions of a person and

using mental issues as a reason to excuse terrible actions is the traumatic experience. The

purpose of this essay is to provide readers with information about the effects of traumatic

experiences, whether those who have suffered from a trauma are responsible for actions taken

after, and everyone that is at risk of being exposed to a trauma.

As seen on the news, some lawyers try to use the client’s mental health status to excuse

the horrific actions displayed. Being bullied should not be used as an excuse for shooting up a

school. Autism is a real mental disorder that should not be used as an excuse for allowing gun

violence. Unless it is being used as a defense mechanism, the affects that traumatic experiences

have on mental health is not taken seriously. The case of California v. Brown, defended by

Justice O’Connors, concluded that, “Evidence about the defendants background and character is

relevant because of the belief, long held by society, that defendants who commit criminal acts

that are attributable to a disadvantaged background, or to emotional and mental problems, may

be less culpable than defendants with no such excuse” (Gohara). This is used to debate whether
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people who had a traumatic experience during youth should be blamed for actions because the

brain is wired differently than those who have had no traumatic experiences. There seems to be a

moral obligation recognized by the Supreme court that defendants who have suffered extreme

lifetime adversity should receive less than death. Mental disorders should not be used in a way to

excuse the horrific actions of a person.

Trauma is difficult to define. “One can define trauma as an event or series of events that

renders the child helpless and breaks through ordinary coping strategies, or both” (Falsca). It is

often forgotten that infants, toddlers, and adolescents are at a higher risk of exposure to trauma.

At these ages, children are vulnerable to influence because this is considered a rapid

developmental period. The primary caregiver is held at a standard, by the child, to be a protector

physically and emotionally.

It is said that there are two types of traumatic experiences: event trauma and process

trauma. Event trauma is the unexpected occurrence of a stressor in limited time and space.

Process trauma is the continuous exposure to an enduring stressor, such as war, emotional,

physical, or sexual abuse. Event trauma is considered as Childhood Trauma Type I which means

the child may show all the classic symptoms of PTSD as well as trauma specific fears. Process

trauma is considered as Childhood Trauma Type II. This is where the child will not only show

symptoms of PTSS, but also manifest the developmental, emotional, and behavioral problems

associated with chronic stress.

70-90% of people are exposed to stressors during a lifetime, about 10% of those exposed

develop PTSD. “There are three categories of stressors: 1) Stressors inherent in the life cycle

such as the sudden and unexpected death of a loved one, incapacitating and chronic disease,

terminal illness etc.; 2) Natural disasters which may include such catastrophic happenings as
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tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, fire, avalanches and epidemics etc.; and, 3)

Man-made disasters such as war, sexual and physical assaults, terrorism, muggings, kidnaping

and torture” (Shaw.) Constantly being exposed to stressors may lead to stress-induced

glucocorticoid release, which can cause permanent changes in the HPA axis and structural

abnormalities.

Children, who have suffered from a trauma, are one of the largest neglected populations.

Exposure to trauma in early childhood can cause cognitive vulnerability, causing one to see their

self as powerless and others as malevolent. “The most recent Australian statistics on child mal-

treatment documented 54,621 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in 2008-2009” (De

Young). This research is consistent with a study conducted in America that showed results of

56% of maltreatment victims were younger than the age of seven. One of the most important

factors that contributes to trauma symptomology is the age at which the individual experienced

the trauma. “Very young children seem to be the most vulnerable to the effects of traumatic

events, possibly because this is a period of rapid development of the brain” (Fusco). A person of

any age is going to react to the experience of traumatic events, which leaves them feeling

helpless or physically/emotionally injured, especially the traumatized youth. It has been proven

that traumatized youth are at greater risk for developing emotional and behavioral issues such as:

anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, and oppositional defiant disorder.

Some individuals are more biologically sensitive to detrimental environments and

therefore more vulnerable to psychopathology in stressful social context. Those who internalized

and externalized problems throughout childhood have shown persistence for psychiatric

disorders later in life. Unintentional trauma causes greater internalization in adulthood. “Trauma

exposure during childhood is associated with increased risk for psychopathology across the
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lifespan, higher comorbidity and recurrence of psychopathology, and poor treatment outcomes”

(Kuhlman). Given the information provided above, traumatized youth may not be responsible for

actions post-trauma. Studies have begun concluding that different experiences in childhood cause

for risks of disorders.

All children are different, as is the trauma that is experienced. The different types of

childhood trauma pose risk of psychopathology in the structural and functional changes to the

brain. Exposure to physical abuse, among youth, is specifically linked to aggression, symptoms

of depression, anxiety, and social problems. No one is trying to excuse the behavior that

traumatized children have, but research is trying to help society to understand why the children

are this way. The research is not to make sure punishment is not distributed, if need be, but to

help provide knowledge that the traumatized youth may not be at fault for actions learned

throughout childhood. Children who are more sensitive and living under conditions of stress are

more likely to be at risk for psychopathology. A healthy attachment to a significant adult is

important for healthy development for children because they are in the middle of rapid emotional

and cognitive development. Children can display a wide assortment of symptoms when trying to

cope with the effects of a trauma.

As years go by, research is being conducted to try and understand the full extent of

damage that trauma causes to the brain. “A large body of empirical research has documented that

patients with personality disorders, particularly those in the borderline category, when compared

to those with near neighbor disorders, report a large number of traumatic events during their

childhood” (Paris). Other research has been conducted to prove that trauma does not necessarily

lead to adult psychopathology. “Clinicians, as well as researchers, tend to overestimate the

impact of trauma, since the database is limited to clinical samples” (Paris). There is not a specific
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“profile” for an abuse victim, although abuse in childhood does result in a wide range of

psychological symptoms in adulthood. Negative childhood events do have risk factors for

psychopathology, but it does not necessarily cause long-term effects. Personality is seen as a

temporal stability, which it is assumed that the effects of personality disorders point to early

childhood as the origin.

The psychodynamic model was based on a belief that the more severe the

psychopathology, the earlier in childhood it must have occurred. However, there is little evidence

that shows early childhood is more important than later childhood when it comes to

psychological development, or that traumatic childhood events, alone, cause disorders in

adulthood. Four population-based studies were used to study the correlation between trauma and

psychosis. “These studies found significant associations between different types of self-reported

trauma in childhood and psychotic disorder, hallucinations, and delusions” (Krabbendam.) The

risk of trauma impacting a developing brain may lead to psychosis.

The information provided should help individuals understand more about the brain

development of a child who has experienced trauma. The traumatized youth develop differently,

then those who have not experienced something traumatic, because that is the age of rapid

development. Adulthood is affected by childhood and those who are traumatized may not be

responsible for the behaviors that are being displayed. Adults can experience trauma at any time,

but the traumatic exposure is not the same in adults as it is in children. As a society, it is time to

understand the affects of trauma on the brain. It is time to stop judging those who seek help,

making fun of those who are mentally challenged, and stop using mental “defect” as a reason to

excuse horrific behavior that is being displayed in the world. The more knowledge, the better.

The more society allows others to speak up, the easier the process is for those suffering to get
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through the trauma. While mental health is not the same as trauma, it is affected by it, which

makes it just as important. Whether someone is 85, 35, or 5 the risk of trauma exposure is still

there and should be taken seriously.

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Works Cited

De Young, Alexandra,C., Justin A. Kenardy, and Vanessa E. Cobham. "Trauma in Early

Childhood: A Neglected Population." Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, vol.

14, no. 3, 2011, pp. 231-50. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/88546

805?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-011-0094-3.

Falasca, Tony, and Thomas J. Caulfield. "Childhood Trauma." Journal of Humanistic

Counseling, Education and Development, vol. 37, no. 4, 1999, pp. 212. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/21245

048?accountid=10163.

Fusco, Rachel A., and Helen Cahalane. "Young Children in the Child Welfare System: What

Factors Contribute to Trauma Symptomology?" Child Welfare, vol. 92, no. 5, 2013, pp.

37-58. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/15185

3961?accountid=10163.

Gohara, Miriam S. "IN DEFENSE OF THE INJURED 1: HOW TRAUMA-INFORMED

CRIMINAL DEFENSE CAN REFORM SENTENCING." American Journal of Criminal

Law, vol. 45, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-53. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/209165

6059?accountid=10163.
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Krabbendam, L. "Childhood Psychological Trauma and Psychosis." Psychological Medicine,

vol. 38, no. 10, 2008, pp. 1405-8. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/204499

135?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291708002705.

Kuhlman, Kate R., et al. "HPA-Axis Activation as a Key Moderator of Childhood Trauma

Exposure and Adolescent Mental Health." Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, vol.

46, no. 1, 2018, pp. 149-157. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/19928

2970?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-017-0282-9.

Paris, Joel. "Childhood Trauma as an Etiological Factor in the Personality Disorders." Journal of

Personality Disorders, vol. 11, no. 1, 1997, pp. 34-49. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/84972

396?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/pedi.1997.11.1.34.

Shaw, John A. "Children, Adolescents and Trauma." Psychiatric Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 3,

2000, pp. 227-43. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/233306

608?accountid=10163, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1004630127000.