Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Cultural Bias and Seeking Treatment
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Cultural Bias and Seeking Treatment
Nicole Doyle
Walden University Capstone Project
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widely studied anxiety disorder that has more recently been found to have better recovery with a strong support system (Gabert-Quillen, et al., (2012). The American Psychological Association (APA, 2012) defines this as an anxiety disorder that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event. There are studies that focus on veterans but there is a need for work to be done for active duty personnel who are suffering from PTSD through multiple exposures to war. With the stigma the military feels when seeking treatment for this makes it a question in how to integrate treatment more favorably to combat personnel who do not feel like they have the support of their peer group and experience discrimination issues that are similar to racial discrimination (Wei, Wang, Heppner, & Du, 2012). Another area that has more recently been studied and can help with treatment is looking at diagnostic problems that may arise through other disorders being present, which has brought up the question of subtypes of PTSD (Humphreys, et al., 2010). This also brings up the question of cultural bias in testing as a current issue and relevant when looking at how to treat PTSD differently by culture by looking at how the disorder is perceived socio-culturally and how the treatment can be culturally appropriate (Poortinga, Y., 1995).
Problem Statement Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a global problem that can happen to anyone and at any age. This disorder can affect a person’s life in many ways, with symptoms being feelings of anxiety that were not there before, nightmares, flash-backs, and reliving the event in their mind, to name a few (APA, 2012). It can be linked to many other personality disorders such as depression and in many cases can lead to physical injury or suicide (Gifford, 2008).
Nicole Doyle
Walden University Capstone Project
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widely studied anxiety disorder that has more recently been found to have better recovery with a strong support system (Gabert-Quillen, et al., (2012). The American Psychological Association (APA, 2012) defines this as an anxiety disorder that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event. There are studies that focus on veterans but there is a need for work to be done for active duty personnel who are suffering from PTSD through multiple exposures to war. With the stigma the military feels when seeking treatment for this makes it a question in how to integrate treatment more favorably to combat personnel who do not feel like they have the support of their peer group and experience discrimination issues that are similar to racial discrimination (Wei, Wang, Heppner, & Du, 2012). Another area that has more recently been studied and can help with treatment is looking at diagnostic problems that may arise through other disorders being present, which has brought up the question of subtypes of PTSD (Humphreys, et al., 2010). This also brings up the question of cultural bias in testing as a current issue and relevant when looking at how to treat PTSD differently by culture by looking at how the disorder is perceived socio-culturally and how the treatment can be culturally appropriate (Poortinga, Y., 1995).
Problem Statement Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a global problem that can happen to anyone and at any age. This disorder can affect a person’s life in many ways, with symptoms being feelings of anxiety that were not there before, nightmares, flash-backs, and reliving the event in their mind, to name a few (APA, 2012). It can be linked to many other personality disorders such as depression and in many cases can lead to physical injury or suicide (Gifford, 2008).
References: American Psychological Association (2012). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. http://www.apa.org/topics/index.aspx. Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2013). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking 9/e (Custom Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Carlson, E., Dalenberg, C., & McDade-Montez, E., (2012) Gifford, R., (2008). Key Ethical Considerations in PTSD and TBI Research. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/biosys/docs/hu-key_ethical_considerations_ptsd_tbi-2008.pdf. Poortinga, Y., (1995). Cultural Bias in Assessment: Historical and Thematic Issues. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, Vol. 11(3), pp. 140—146. Wei, M., Wang, K., Heppner, P., and Du, Y., (2012). Ethnic and Mainstream Social Connectedness, Perceived Racial Discrimination, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms. Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 59(3), pp. 486–493. DOI: 10.1037/a0028000