ABSTRACT
A large majority of the population experiences a traumatic event at some time in their lives. Given the lifetime prevalence of exposure to traumatic events, it is not surprising that some portion of the population experiences some form of traumarelated disorder, including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diffi culty adjusting to stress does not only stem from actual or threatened loss of life of a loved one, or threat to one’s own life. Stressor-related adjustment disorders encompass a range of stress-response syndromes that frequently occur after exposure to a distressing event (including non-traumatic). However, the manifestation of the resulting psychopathology may be culturally defi ned or infl uenced. Hence, the cultural context becomes an important factor in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of an individual, and therefore the awareness of the context is critical for clinicians in providing culturally competent care.
