Evolution and Expanding Definitions of Trauma in Psychology and Culture
The term "trauma" has evolved from its original meaning of physical injury to encompass psychological harm and broader suffering. Initially defined in medical contexts, trauma gained a psychological dimension with the introduction of PTSD in the 1980 DSM-III, which required traumatic events to be extreme and directly experienced. Subsequent DSM editions expanded this to include indirectly witnessed events and shifted focus toward individual subjective distress, reflecting ongoing debates about trauma's definition and cultural significance.