Improving the Cultural Appropriateness of Psychological Treatments for PTSD

Currently we have a very good understanding of the processes involved in the development, maintenance and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is a significant limitation associated with this understanding, and thus our current PTSD treatment approaches. That is, they are based on research conducted with Western samples and virtually ignore culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Therefore, they are based on Western cultural norms, beliefs and values. This is problematic because PTSD rates have been found to be higher in migrant and refugee communities. Thus, the aim of this project is to further examine the influence of culture on the processes (e.g., memory, appraisals, emotion regulation, self) involved in PTSD in order to provide clinicians with clear direction regarding the assessment and tailoring of treatment for trauma survivors from culturally diverse communities.