Residential School Syndrome Case Study

There is anecdotal support suggesting that having attended an Indian boarding school may be associated with psychological dysfunction for some students. Charles Brasfield, a counselor for American Indian clients in British Colombia, identified a common symptomology among survivors of Indian residential schools, which he calls "residential school syndrome." The effects include: distressing recollections, recurrent disturbing dreams of residential school, a sense of reliving the experiences had there, distress at being exposed to cues that resemble residential experiences, avoidance of stimuli associated with the school, inability to recall important aspects of residential experience, diminished interest in participating in tribal activities,