War and Psychological Trauma
The conflict triggered by Russia has forced the Ukrainian people out of their homes, who are now fleeing fighting and extortion. These are two causes of psycho-trauma, a phenomenon with symptoms documented since the First World War. Philippe Fossati, head of the adult psychiatry department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital and professor at the Sorbonne University Faculty of Medicine, discusses psycho-trauma. What is a psycho-trauma (PT)? Philippe Fossati: In the medical sense of the term, a trauma is a serious, unpredictable and potentially life-threatening event, of which one is either a victim or a witness, which one has difficulty coping with and which causes psychological symptoms. It triggers an acute stress reaction that can result in fear, insomnia, pain, and a psychological state that causes people to continue their activities automatically during the event - this is called a dissociative state. Historically, the study of PT developed with the Poilus1 of the First World War, particularly among those who had escaped the continuous firing of German artillery, and then among veterans of the Vietnam War. France was the forerunner in the clinical description of psycho-trauma, but the subject has developed especially in recent years with the establishment of precise diagnostic criteria as well as the recognition and management of psychological injuries that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
