Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders: Cultural Factors

Trauma- and stressor-related disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD), adjustment disorder, reactive attachment disorder (RAD), and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). All include a stressor etiology—that is, exposure to severely stressful events. Historically, Eurocentric, largely individualistic perspectives informed the conceptualization of trauma and stressors and the emotional and behavioral responses to them. However, with the globalization of trauma psychology since the mid-1980s, there has been increased attention to the need to consider cultural influences on the conceptualization of trauma and stress and the disordered biobehavioral reactions to them.