Fragility, Posttraumatic

Traumatic events are particularly disturbing and problematic because of the experiences individuals have following the event. Whether the traumatic event consists of the potential loss of life, injury, or loss of previous meaning, we are confronted with the fragile nature of the human condition. It is not unusual for individuals to experience a traumatic event during a lifetime, however not everyone develops chronic psychosocial issues as a result. Many researchers have focused on understanding the specific variables that render some individuals more fragile than others.

This entry explores the experience of fragility in individuals who have experienced a traumatic event. Fragility will be discussed relative to physiological and psychological trauma and specific attention will be paid to the experience of the fragility of life and death after trauma. Then, factors that render some individuals more psychologically fragile after a traumatic event will be addressed.

Fragility has a historical meaning derived from medicine. This meaning is related to specific areas or parts of the body that are susceptible to disease or injury because of environmental and/or genetic factors. For example, deprivation of certain nutrients such as calcium renders bones fragile and more easily broken. Fragility is also related to physical trauma with the likelihood of injury occurring in the future. If an individual suffered a broken bone because of physical trauma to the leg, the bone and surrounding area becomes fragile or vulnerable to further injury. Even after the bone has healed, the possibility of it breaking again if another injury is sustained increases. This concept of fragility is applied to psychological issues in a similar fashion as trauma.

A psychological trauma often accompanies physical trauma, although not necessarily so. What marks a psychological trauma is one in which the individual suffers from psychosocial disturbances that have the potential to linger after physical wounds have healed. Essentially, a psychological trauma is an event in which harm is done to an individual's self-concept and the way the individual views and interacts with the world. These changes are life altering, and individuals may feel as if they have been irrevocably damaged.