The aim of this book is to address the pressing and socially relevant topic of traumatic stress in South Africa. Given the high levels of exposure to trauma and violence of various kinds in this country, there is naturally serious concern about the mental health impact and implications of this exposure.

South African citizens are widely and commonly confronted with anecdotal accounts of traumatic events, both in the course of their everyday lives and in the mass media, often articulated in the discourse of living in a dangerous and traumatised society. Along with this awareness of the frequent occurrence of trauma is a preoccupation with its psychological consequences. The notion of ‘posttraumatic stress’ has entered the public domain to the extent that this terminology is in common usage and is even used to describe the state of characters in popular local television dramas or ‘soap operas’. It is also noticeable that in media accounts of traumatic events there are frequently references to the fact that victims are receiving debriefing or counselling, suggesting that trauma intervention is offered by many practitioners of various levels of skill to large numbers of trauma survivors, with an assumption that such intervention should take place as a matter of course. The increasing awareness of and prominence given to posttraumatic stress conditions and related interventions has had benefits and costs. Although the public may be better informed about some aspects of traumatic stress and victims may more readily access and seek assistance, there are also misconceptions and problematic practices. Common sense or folkloric knowledge of traumatic stress can easily become dated, distorted or misinterpreted. Access to up-to-date, well substantiated and clearly presented information about traumatic stress is important at this point in time, both in terms of doing justice to the international advancements in traumatic stress knowledge and in terms of improving everyday practices in South Africa. In response to this need, this book presents an overview of aspects of trauma prevalence, impact and treatment that is intended to be both scholarly and accessible. This text aims to be mindful of the complexities of working with trauma survivors living within a context of multiple dangers.