Mental health problems can be rooted in a variety and combination of factors, with genetics, biology, individual personality characteristics, and environment being among the principal contributors.

The experience of personal trauma often, but not always, is also involved in the development and/or exacerbation of many mental health issues.

According to information that has been posted on the Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center website, trauma refers to an emotional response to a distressing or overwhelming event that can have lasting impacts on a person’s functioning and well-being. This response can involve psychological, physical, social and spiritual changes.

Traumatic events can include a wide range of experiences, such as accidents, natural disasters, violent acts, abuse (that can include physical, sexual and emotional abuse), neglect, and witnessing the suffering of another person.

The death of a loved one — especially when it is sudden and unexpected — is extremely traumatic for many survivors, and experiences such as being subjected to continuous bullying, or living through a worldwide crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic or any other life-threatening illness, can also be sources of trauma.

Immediate reactions to trauma may include shock, fear, anger, sadness and difficulty concentrating. Longer-term consequences may include flashbacks, nightmares, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships.

In recognizing National Mental Health Awareness Month this May, the Mirror will be focusing on trauma and its effects on mental health with a five-part series which starts with this introductory article and will continue in each of the next four weekend editions.

The experience of trauma is processed in different ways by different people, and mental health difficulties that can manifest as a result of the experience of trauma can include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

The Chicago Hospital offers a comprehensive program for the treatment of trauma. According to information posted on the hospital’s website, people who have endured psychological trauma or witnessed a traumatic event experience such feelings as shock, denial, fear, anger and feelings of helplessness.

They may become constantly on edge, easily startled, hyper-vigilant, or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, emotionally numb.

Physical problems with eating, sleeping, low energy levels, and unexplained aches and pains can also take place after the experience of trauma.

The experience of some form of trauma is, unfortunately, shared by countless numbers of people.

According to statistics compiled by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 61 percent of men and 51 percent of women report at least one traumatic event happening in their lifetimes.

The National Council of Mental Wellbeing reports at least the one-time incidence of trauma to be even higher – at 70 percent of all Americans.

“(Trauma) is extremely widespread as a result of lifetime experiences,” said Alison Seltzer, a Licensed Professional Counselor who is the director at InnerPeaceCounseling in Altoona, where she specializes in treating people who have experienced trauma. “I think that people who have experienced trauma have a lot of re-activity toward others – road rage is one example – because their autonomic nervous systems are already de-regulated.”

The series will continue with an examination of the three different types of trauma and trauma’s effect on the brain in the May 9-10 edition. The May 16-17 article will probe how people are affected differently by trauma, while the May 23-24 article will examine the various treatment modalities that are used to address trauma. The series will conclude with the article in the May 30-31 edition that examines how people who have experienced trauma can get better and stay better.

Next: A look at the different types of trauma.

Mirror staff writer John Hartsock can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirror.com