Trauma, recuperación y salud mental: Rutas y estrategias para el bienestar integral

Abstract

It is with great enthusiasm that Puerto Rican Journal of Psychology (REPS) presents the special issue "Trauma, Recovery, and Mental Health: Pathways and Strategies for Holistic Well-being," corresponding to Volume 36, No. 2 of 2025. This issue, featuring ten articles, is dedicated to experiences of trauma and the diverse therapeutic approaches used to promote recovery and holistic well-being. It includes a variety of topics, among them, collective traumas such as Hurricane Maria and the historical trauma of colonization, childhood trauma and its impact on adulthood, as well as therapeutic approaches focused on trauma experiences. Traumatic experiences leave deep scars that need to be acknowledged, validated, and addressed so that they do not transform into symptoms and patterns that can persist for generations. Trauma is not only borne by the individual who experiences it, but also has an impact on the family, the community, and the various social contexts in which the person is embedded. Recognizing this, interventions should not be solely and exclusively for the person carrying the trauma but should also address its collective ramifications to create a community that supports and promotes healing from trauma.

This issue, particularly relevant in the current historical moment where discriminatory migration policies are having a global impact, echoes the impact of individual and collective trauma, inviting us to reflect and take action. We thank the special editorial board comprised of Dr. Eduardo Cumba, Dr. Claudia Lugo Candelas, Dr. Yahaira Márquez, Dr. Jennifer Morales, and Dr. Jenny Zhen-Duan, under the coordination of our associate editor, Dr. Emily Sáez Santiago. I also want to thank the authors who have entrusted the Puerto Rican Journal of Psychology with their work, as well as all the reviewers who contributed to the manuscript review process to ensure the highest quality. A special gratitude to our editorial assistants Jorge L. Rivera Carrasquillo and Mariely Vélez Pérez for their assistance on the details of the editorial process and Dr. Marco Peña-Jimenez, for the coordination and production.