Exploring the Relationship between Sense of Coherence and Historical Trauma among American Indian Youth

Historical trauma has been associated with many health and social issues. However, there is little understanding of how American Indian (AI) youth cope with historical trauma. Sense of Coherence (SOC) provides a promising framework for studying the relationship between resiliency and historical trauma, as it is a theorized mechanism that helps individuals cope with ongoing stress. A multi-method study examining the potential relationship between SOC and historical trauma revealed that higher levels of SOC predicted fewer historical trauma-related symptoms and provided rich detail about how an AI youth sample conceptualized stress and coping. Implications and future directions are discussed.