Trump has Traumatized Thousands of Children: Now We Have a Responsibility A Sacramento Bee Op-Ed by Leah Hibel and Andrea C. Buhler-Wasserman
June 20, 2018
Losing a parent is one of the most profound stressors a child can
experience; it threatens the child’s safety and causes a
heightened state of “fight or flight.” This type of stressor
rapidly increases the child’s heart rate and blood pressure.
Stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol flood the system.
Fear and panic take over. Decades of science suggest
that these separations are traumatic and likely to cause lifelong
mental and physical health problems.
Dr. Leah Hibel is a Professor in the Department of Human Ecology.
She received her degree in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State
University in 2009. Dr. Hibel’s research focuses on maternal and
child health particularly in the context of family stress.
