Trauma, posttraumatic stress, and family systems

Across the globe, individuals, families, and communities are directly impacted by traumatic events through a spectrum of issues, including posttraumatic stress and similar psychological disorders, family distress, and upheaval of social and community systems. The repercussions from trauma impact the family and social-cultural community systems of individual trauma survivors, yet a theoretical model outlining traumatic stress in the context of kinship networks and family social systems is missing in the field. The current chapter provides a description of the Family Systems Adaptation to Trauma (FSAT) Model, that is, an integrated framework addressing the individual, interpersonal, and social-cultural community systems with trauma and traumatic stress. The chapter concludes with clinical application to improve trauma recovery for individuals and families with a global perspective on systemic family therapy, which can be applied across various contexts, cultures, and traumatic experiences.