Culture and PTSD Trauma in Global and Historical Perspective

The essays in 'Culture and PTSD' trace how trauma and its effects vary across historical and cultural contexts. The authors examine the applicability of PTSD to other cultural contexts and detail local responses to trauma and the extent they vary from PTSD as defined in the American Psychiatric Association's 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual'. Investigating responses in Peru, Indonesia, Haiti, and Native American communities as well as among combat veterans, domestic abuse victims, and adolescents, contributors attempt to address whether PTSD symptoms are present and, if so, whether they are a salient part of local responses to trauma.