Please note: this course description is not fully up-to-date for the academic year 2025-2026. Updates will be published shortly.
Description
Exposure to a potentially traumatic event, such as accidents, disasters, abuse or violence, is quite common. Individual responses to trauma vary widely. Whereas most people will not experience long-term mental health effects after exposure to trauma, on others it may have long-lasting and diverse effects on their health and life.
In this course students learn about the psychological and neurobiological processes that are involved in mental health development after exposure to trauma. The broad effects of trauma on mental health will be studied, including trauma- and stressor-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, other psychological consequences, such as depression, substance use, personality disorders, suicidality. The impact of trauma will be reviewed over the course of life and on various life domains (i.e., identity development, emotion regulation, and cognitive and social functioning). This course will also cover factors related to resilience. Finally, students will learn about the evidence-based guidelines for prevention, diagnostics and treatment of trauma-related psychological disorders.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, students:
Can explain the psychosocial and neurobiological processes after traumatic exposure and how this relates to mental health development during the life course;
Can explain the potential role of trauma in various psychological disorders and the impact of trauma on various life domains;
Can summarise and apply the evidence-based guidelines for prevention, diagnostics and treatment of trauma- and stressor-related psychological disorders;
Have gained detailed knowledge about current clinical research controversies in the domain of trauma.
Timetable
For the timetable of this course please refer to MyTimetable
Registration
Education
Students must register themselves for all course components (lectures, tutorials and practicals) they wish to follow. You can register up to 5 days prior to the start of the course.
Exams (if applicable)
You must register for each exam in My Studymap at least 10 days before the exam date. You cannot take an exam without a valid registration in My Studymap. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
Mode of instruction
This course consists of 3 blocks:
- Definition and typology of trauma and history of the PTSD concept;
- Psychological and neurobiological consequences of traumatic events and chronic stress;
- Evidence based guidelines for prevention, diagnostics and treatment of trauma-related psychopathology;
Throughout the blocks, innovations in prevention and treatment of trauma-related psychopathology are a guiding principle
There are 7 weekly lectures that will only be offered on campus.
Assessment method
Written exam focusing on insight and application of the learned material.
You will be informed about the method of inspection and feedback of the examination via Brightspace in due course.
The Institute of Psychology follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. All students are required to take and pass the Scientific Integrity Test with a score of 100% in order to learn about the practice of integrity in scientific writing. Students are given access to the quiz via a module on Brightspace. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of this fraud policy.
Reading list
t.b.a. on Brightspace.
Contact information
Dr. Joanne Mouthaan traumalab@fsw.leidenuniv.nl