Research and clinical practice in the field of trauma has emphasized the construct of posttraumatic stress disorder. However, trauma has broader meanings that reflect its impact on the fabric of social life and that may be relevant to clinical understanding and intervention. This article illustrates the larger meanings of trauma with data from a pilot study designed to investigate the social representations of trauma and ways in which trauma is defined (i.e., meanings assigned to trauma) among Palestinians living in protracted conflict situations in the Gaza Strip. Ethnographic interviews conducted with key informants living in the Gaza Strip suggest that social representations and meaning of trauma can be classified into three main types according to the level and nature of the symptoms associated with the experience, severity, patterns of resort to treatment, and long-term effects: sadma (trauma as a sudden blow with immediate impact), faji’ah (tragedy), and musiba (calamity). Sadma is used metaphorically to refer to painful events that happen suddenly. Faji’ah is used to describe the reaction to an extraordinary event, mainly the loss of a loved one. Musiba is used when traumatic events are persistent and have long-term consequences. Popular descriptions and relationships among these terms and their meanings and relationships to common idioms of distress are illustrated. Examining cultural variations in the understanding and expression of trauma-related distress has implications for the definition of trauma-related disorders in psychiatric nosology, as well as for the design and delivery of culturally appropriate clinical and community interventions.
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