The Interconnections of Trauma, Healing, Health, and Leisure
With the ever-increasing health crisis in Western societies, research on trauma, healing, leisure, and health has taken on a new urgency and even greater significance. The goal of this special issue is to harness the collective energy of research exploring the intersections of trauma, healing, leisure, and health with the intent to understand the roles of leisure, create a more trauma informed society, and foster inclusion. In so doing, the aim is for the special issue to serve as a galvanizing force by creating a community of new and established trauma/healing/leisure/health scholars who can network, strategize, and take action together in both research synergies and other more tangible ways (such as initiating workshops, roundtables, grant applications).
Papers in this special issue might focus on:
- How leisure contexts, experiences, and activities foster healing
- Personal narratives of trauma and healing through leisure
- How trauma-based emotions are expressed in and through leisure
- The roles of leisure in destigmatizing mental health issues
- Examples of the intersection of trauma, healing, and health through leisure
- How healing ‘work’ troubles the relationship between work and leisure
- The leisure-like qualities of healing modalities (meditation, breathwork, journalling, manifestation, etc)
- The relationship between travel and healing from trauma
- Digitality, trauma, and healing
- Self-care and learning to love oneself through leisure
- Exploring trauma, healing, and health in specific leisure pursuits or experiences
- How leisure can contribute to a trauma-informed society
- Relationships, connections, and communities that are produced, enabled, and encouraged in leisure amongst those healing from trauma
- The impact of social isolation as it relates to trauma and leisure
Authors (including those in post-doctoral positions and new graduate students) are invited to submit manuscripts empirical studies from a broad range of theoretical orientations. Conceptual discussion focused on policy, activism, and politics is also welcome. Contributions from a broad range of approaches to conducting and representing leisure research, as well as multidisciplinary perspectives (gender studies, geography, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, history, economics, environmental studies et al) are welcome.
Submission Instructions
- expected publication date: December 2025
- word limit 9000
- Submissions due April 1, 2024
- Empirical manuscripts from a broad range of theoretical orientations, conceptual discussion focused on policy, activism, and politics and contributions from a broad range of approaches to conducting and representing leisure research, as well as multidisciplinary perspectives (gender studies, geography, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, history, economics, environmental studies et al) are welcome
For more information, see the journal website.
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