Advantages of Stress Process Approaches for Measuring Historical Trauma

Abstract

Despite growing attention to historical trauma (HT) as a key mechanism for documented Indigenous health disparities like alcohol abuse, the complexities of conceptualizing and measuring HT-related constructs have limited empirical tests of these relationships. In this article, we review the current evidence surrounding one HT measure: the Historical Loss Scale. In addition, we provide examples of the benefits of treating historical cultural losses as stressors within sociological and Indigenous stress process models of health.

• historical trauma
• historical loss
• Indigenous health

Notes

1. Walters and colleagues (12) reported findings using only two items from the original historical loss scale.