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. 2017 Jun 30;12(1):141–151. doi: 10.1007/s40653-017-0168-6

Table 3.

Comparing participants’ and clinical conceptualizations of trauma

Participants DSM-5

“Uh, those are horrible experiences to face.”

“Trauma is like, I’m thinking it’s like, okay, you could see your friend one day and that’s like, and then the next day you hear something bad [i.e. ‘he’s locked up; or he just got stabbed, he in the hospital’] about them happen. Is that trauma?”

“Trauma…Cuz I be getting-I be feeling trauma…like…if you see somebody get shot…”

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders include disorders in which exposure to a traumatic or stressful event is listed explicitly as a diagnostic criterion.

Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend.

Witnessing, in person, the event(s) as it occurred to others. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental.

“Like a injury…to your body…or your mind probably.”

Exposure to…serious injury

Events include violent personal assault, suicide, serious accident, and serious injury.

“Probably death, I don’t know” Exposure to actual or threatened death