Advantages of stress process approaches for measuring historical trauma

Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2012 Sep;38(5):416-20. doi: 10.3109/00952990.2012.694524.

Abstract

Despite growing attention to historical trauma (HT) as a key mechanism for documented Indigenous health disparities like alcohol abuse, the complexities of conceptualizing and measuring HT-related constructs have limited empirical tests of these relationships. In this article, we review the current evidence surrounding one HT measure: the Historical Loss Scale. In addition, we provide examples of the benefits of treating historical cultural losses as stressors within sociological and Indigenous stress process models of health.

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholism / epidemiology*
  • Alcoholism / ethnology
  • Alcoholism / etiology
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American / psychology*
  • Models, Psychological
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology*
  • Stress, Psychological / ethnology
  • Stress, Psychological / etiology