Il trauma interpersonale e la violenza: correlati psicopatologici e sociali

The word “trauma” derives from the Greek τραῦμα (-ατος) and literally means “wound”, “damage”, “injury” or “breakage”. In the 19th century, first Charcot and then Janet and Freud, defined trauma in a psychological sense. Relational trauma leads to severe outcomes than natural disasters because it has a greater “destructive” effect on trust and attachment, and is typically experienced as intentional. Interpersonal violence, which stands for acts of violence inflicted by an individual or a small group of individuals to another, is an example of psychological trauma. The World Health Organization in 1996 defined violence as a global public health problem. It is now considered as a predictable and preventable risk factor for lifelong mental health and social problems. A severe psychiatric pathology itself it is not enough to determine violent behaviours: family and social factors are involved, as personal features like affective states, emotion regulation, and values. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic broke out having a huge impact on psychological wellbeing as a traumatic event. The main aim of this study is to identify the biopsychosocial correlates of interpersonal trauma, in the context of both victimization and perpetration of violence. We hypothesized to identify individual and family factors correlated with higher levels of interpersonal violence. In the frame of the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to identify mental health outcomes in the general population due to the traumatic effects of the lockdown and the pandemic itself. Outcomes of interest of this research are mental health conseguences, as well as psychosocial functioning.