Culture’s Impact on PTSD Mechanisms and Treatment

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significantly disabling psychiatric disorder, affecting people across the globe. While research has made great strides in understanding PTSD, there’s a blind spot: most studies focus on Western cultures.

This is a problem because culture heavily influences how we experience trauma, remember it, and cope with its aftermath. Importantly, decades of non-clinical cross-cultural research illustrates that tailoring therapy to a person’s cultural background can significantly improve outcomes.

For example, some cultures emphasise individual resilience, while others prioritise community support. These differences can impact how well current PTSD treatments work for people from non-Western backgrounds.

The aim of this presentation is to highlight how culture influences some of the key processes known to be instrumental in PTSD. This will include a focus on memory, appraisals, emotion regulation and social support.

We’ll also draw upon research conducted by our group over the last decade highlighting the need to consider cultural influences in the context of PTSD and its treatment. Finally, the presentation will aim to reflect on clinical implications of this re-conceptualisation for our treatment approaches.

By understanding these influences, we can create more effective and inclusive therapies for everyone.

To learn more about how cultural influences affect PTSD and discover effective and inclusive treatment approaches, we invite you to our free webinar on 24 July. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain valuable insights and knowledge from experts in the field.

To register and get more information, visit the following link.

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