Definition:
Bureaucratic trauma is lasting psychological harm caused by prolonged exposure to hostile or indifferent administrative systems.
Usage Context:
Reported by disabled people, asylum seekers, welfare claimants, and others navigating high-stakes bureaucracies.
Critical Note:
Because trauma is produced without a single event, it is often minimised or pathologised as individual fragility rather than systemic harm.
Related Terms:
Administrative Violence, Bureaucratic Exhaustion, Attritional Harm, Institutional Neglect, Background Coercion