Trauma and mental health in young people

Most young people will have been exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Multiple and prolonged exposure to trauma is also common. When a young person reaches out to open up about trauma, the way that others around them respond can have a massive effect on the young person’s ability to understand and cope with what has happened. Some aspects of trauma remain largely misunderstood, especially when it comes to its relationship with mental health.

This mythbuster has been created for young people, their families, and carers. It aims to tackle some of the most common and harmful myths about trauma in the mental health space, and to replace these with a better understanding of what trauma is and how it can affect young people.