 Natural disasters, war and racial and religious persecution have claimed countless lives and livelihoods over the past two decades, and with these developments has come the unseen toll on the psyche of those affected and their caregivers. In its latest issue, the British Journal of Psychiatry has teamed up with the World Psychiatric Association to highlight key mental health aspects of disasters and trauma. The 10 articles that make up the issue address topics relevant to psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health experts across the world. Several look at the experiences of survivors of natural disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake in Canterbury, New Zealand, and the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. Studies like these not only offer guidance on how to improve mental health services for people of different ages, they also teach researchers by demonstration how to conduct comprehensive mental health studies among survivors of crises. Other articles in the issue discuss the complexities of diagnosing and treating people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Learning to differentiate PTSD from complex PTSD, for example, could help professionals deliver more appropriate and personalised care. The remaining articles explore the experiences of other vulnerable populations of people following traumatic events. Researchers describe the impact of migration on the psychosocial care of immigrants to the Czech Republic. They discuss the concept of moral injury, the distress that people in fields such as nursing report when they feel unable to act ethically under institutional rules and regulations. And they examine the role of shame among women held captive and sexually abused by ISIS. This special issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry follows up on the WPA's recent action plan designed to strengthen the contribution of psychiatrists to reducing distress, illness and suicidal behaviour among vulnerable populations. To access the issue, click on the link in the description.