Researchers at Virginia Tech are trying to better understand how people process trauma, including those who witness traumatic events, like a shooting, or a car accident.
“They are often in close proximity,” said Tim Jarome, an associate professor at Virginia Tech who’s leading the study. “And they develop PTSD as a result of it, even though they didn’t directly experience the event.”
Jarome, who teaches in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said much is unknown about indirect trauma, which accounts for about 10 percent of PTSD cases.
Scientists who study post-traumatic stress disorder still don’t know exactly why some people are more likely to develop the condition. “A lot of it has to do with how you respond to the event itself,” Jarome said. “So if the event is driving a very emotional response, you would be more likely to develop PTSD later.”
The researchers are hoping to gather answers to better help those diagnosed with PTSD through therapy.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
