Journal of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Psychological Trauma Encountered by Drug Dealers: A Narrative Review
Soh Keng Chuan
Abstract
Introduction: Much of the focus on drug trafficking is on the deed rather than the individual. This is likely to be carried out by personnel who are drug users themselves, while drug use is sometimes a mechanism for coping with symptoms of psychological trauma. However, with specific reference to drug dealers, their exposure to psychological trauma has not been examined in detail. Methods: A literature search on PubMed and PsycINFO was conducted using specified search terms, with a paucity of academic literature about drug dealers and psychological trauma demonstrated. The findings were supplemented by selected information from Google search results to provide a balanced perspective on the topic. Results: Even prior to dealing drugs, drug dealers tend to endorse having numerous encounters with psychological trauma, both direct and vicarious. In the course of being a drug dealer, they take on both the role of perpetrator and victim of psychological trauma across the span of time. Some of their risk of being subject to violence is known to persist even after they were no longer active in dealing drugs. Implications: More research is needed to deepen the current understanding about the role of trauma exposure in individuals who go on to become drug dealers, in terms of whether and how this impacts their decision to take on this role. Given the exposure of drug dealers to a substantial multitude of traumatic events, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, a trauma-informed approach would be definitely required by clinicians working with these individuals.
Keywords: Drug trafficker; Drug dealer; Psychological trauma; Trauma-informed care
Journal Information
- Journal Name: Journal of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
- Journal Short Name: J Ment Health Substance Use
- Language: English
- Format of Publication: Online
- Starting Year: 2020
- Focus Subject: Mental Health Disorders, Substance Abuse, and Addiction
- Publication Model: Online
- Frequency of Publication: One Issue a Year
- Review Process: Single blind peer-review by referees
- Time to 1st Decision: 2 to 3 weeks from date of submission
- Time to Acceptance: 4 to 6 weeks, depending upon the required revision cycles
- Time to Publication: 1 to 3 weeks from date of final submission in the forthcoming issue
- DOI Prefix: 10.7620
Indexed and Abstracted In
