Older Adult: Perceptions of Trauma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do older adults accessing support for their mental health perceive and understand trauma?
IRAS ID
333090
Contact name
Danielle Doward
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
‘Trauma’ describes experiences some people go through that are really difficult and can be life-threatening. Things like war, accidents, being attacked may all be events that we use this word for. People can go through ‘trauma’ more than once, like being bullied. They may be a child or a teenager at the time when they experience difficult events. They may not know what they have been through is ‘traumatic’.
People may react to these events in different ways. Some may have nightmares, or even feel like they are still living through the event. Some people may find it helpful to speak to someone about what happened. This may help them to recover and feel better.
Our study wants to look at how older adults view their own experiences. We want to know how they make sense of their story and if the term “trauma” feels relevant. There is little research exploring older adults attitudes to trauma. So far we know that older adults may have different views on trauma than service providers. We are interested in hearing from older adults who have a mental health difficulty to find out their views. There is very little research with people in this group.
The people we would like to speak to would be Older Adults (65+) seeking help from mental health services. The study would involve taking part in an interview approximately 45-60 minutes, in a confidential space such as an NHS Clinic Room, at the University of Manchester, or online through Microsoft Teams or a telephone call.
Participants would be asked to have an initial phone call to check they are eligible to take part, the interview, and a debrief after they've participated in the study. There is an option to receive a further debrief call to check in and signpost to services if beneficial.
Summary of results
The study explored the perception and understanding of trauma in Older Adults with lived experience of trauma accessing support for their mental health. Semi-structured interviews with 15 Older Adults accessing secondary and tertiary mental health care for severe and enduring mental health difficulties were thematically analysed. Three main themes were identified and six sub-themes. For OAs with lived experience, the construct of trauma is in the eye of the survivor, expressed in stories of suffering or resilience. Older Adults emphasised trauma is subjective and should not be dictated by what others might perceive as traumatic, but dependent on the person’s own subjective experiences of what they feel ‘able to cope with’. The study provided a novel exploration of how OAs understand and perceive trauma, and the considerations and recommendations for services in being genuinely trauma informed in practice.REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EM/0099
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion