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Cited by 752Indigenous Health, Education, and RightsRacial and Ethnic Identity ResearchIndigenous Cultures and History

Conceptualizing and measuring historical trauma among American Indian people

Whitbeck, Les B., Adams, Gary W., Hoyt, Dan R., Chen, Xiaojin·2004·American Journal of Community Psychology
DOI 10.1023/b:ajcp.0000027000.77357.31
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Abstract

This article reports on the development of two measures relating to historical trauma among American Indian people: The Historical Loss Scale and The Historical Loss Associated Symptoms Scale. Measurement characteristics including frequencies, internal reliability, and confirmatory factor analyses were calculated based on 143 American Indian adult parents of children aged 10 through 12 years who are part of an ongoing longitudinal study of American Indian families in the upper Midwest. Results indicate both scales have high internal reliability. Frequencies indicate that the current generation of American Indian adults have frequent thoughts pertaining to historical losses and that they associate these losses with negative feelings. Two factors of the Historical Loss Associated Symptoms Scale indicate one anxiety/depression component and one anger/avoidance component. The results are discussed in terms of future research and theory pertaining to historical trauma among American Indian people.

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37 of 37 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Cultural wounding is physically and emotionally destructive, manifesting in problems such as depression, anxiety, shared posttraumatic stress, and substance use that lead to adverse health outcomes such as diabetes, suicide, and cancer.

    “It is physically and emotionally destructive, manifesting in problems such as depression, anxiety, shared posttraumatic stress, and substance use (Brave Heart et al., 2011; Gone and Alcántara, 2007; Whitbeck et al., 2004) that lead to adverse health outcomes (e.g., diabetes, suicide, cancer) (Bezo and Maggi, 2018; Goodkind et al., 2012; Shrira et al., 2011).”

    From Cultural trauma as a fundamental cause of health disparities (2022) · cites this paper as Whitbeck et al., 2004

  • Empirical evidence indicating that cultural trauma impacts health is distributed across different constructs (e.g., collective vs. historical vs. intergenerational trauma), each describing separate aspects of the trauma experience often specific to different cultural groups.

    “Second, the empirical evidence indicating that cultural trauma impacts health (Hartmann and Gone, 2014; Krieg, 2009; Whitbeck et al., 2004) is distributed across different constructs (e.g., collective vs. historical vs. intergenerational trauma), each describing separate aspects of the trauma experience that are often specific to different cultural groups (Sotero, 2006).”

    From Cultural trauma as a fundamental cause of health disparities (2022) · cites this paper as Whitbeck et al., 2004

  • Cultural wounds may be felt collectively across generations, impacting offspring through exposure to daily reminders of the cultural trauma including discrimination and loss of traditional languages, family systems, and spiritual/healing practices.

    “These wounds may be felt collectively across generations, impacting offspring through exposure to daily reminders of the cultural trauma including discrimination and loss of traditional languages, family systems, and spiritual/healing practices”

    From Cultural trauma as a fundamental cause of health disparities (2022) · cites this paper as Whitbeck et al., 2004

  • Many studies reported significant associations between higher levels of reported historical trauma experience and adverse health outcomes; several studies linked historical trauma to increased substance use.

    “Many studies reported significant associations between higher levels of reported historical trauma experience and adverse health outcomes; specifically, several studies linked historical trauma to increased substance use [26,27,28,29].”

    From Substance and Behavioral Addictions among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations (2022) · cites this paper as [28]

  • Historical trauma is directly linked to poor health outcomes and increased substance use.

    “Previous research has established historical trauma as directly linked to poor health outcomes and increased substance use [20,21,22,26,27,28,29,99].”

    From Substance and Behavioral Addictions among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations (2022) · cites this paper as [28]

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Authors
Whitbeck, L. B., Adams, G. W., Hoyt, D. R., & Chen, X.
Affiliations
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
Corresponding author
Whitbeck, Les B.
ORCID
Venue
American Journal of Community Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2004-06
Volume
33
Issue
3-4
Pages
119-130
ISSN
  • 0091-0562 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2770
DOI
10.1023/b:ajcp.0000027000.77357.31
OpenAlex
W2073009850
Cited by
751
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 52 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 35
FWCI
1.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • American Journal of Community Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 13580, R01DA013580)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Indigenous Cultures and History
Keywords
historical trauma, American Indian peoples, scale development, historical loss, anxiety and depression, Native American families
MeSH terms
Aged, Culture, Humans, Indians, North American, Life Change Events, Social Identification, Midwestern United States, Focus Groups

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