School of SSESW academic Michael Duffy is an internationally recognized cognitive psychotherapist specialising in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex grief. He led the work of the Trauma Team after the 1998 Omagh bomb and provided workshops on PTSD for therapists working with large scale traumas including the 9/11 Twin Towers attack, the Oslo bombing and Utoya Island shootings, the Manchester concert bomb and the war in Ukraine.

Based on his expertise, Michael was invited to contribute to Konan - Trapped in Trauma, a new Channel 4 documentary centred on London rapper Konan and looking at young people living with trauma and PTSD.

In his interview for an article in The Guardian, which highlights that more than 300,000 young people in England and Wales are living with PTSD largely ‘linked to personal assault and violence’, Michael said: “When untreated, PTSD becomes a chronic condition. It becomes highly disabling. People’s lives can be fundamentally changed.” Michael pointed out that PTSD can be more common in areas of high socio-economic deprivation and that, in addition to the difficulty of getting a diagnosis, those identified as having PTSD often face a long wait for treatment.

Commenting on the impact on young men, Michael added: “We still have a culture which creates the impression that men should be tough guys and strong, and not talk about their emotions. It’s a huge problem.” The full programme is available at Konan – Trapped in Trauma.