Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ)
Over the past few decades, researchers have developed effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder some people develop after experiencing trauma. These treatments often involve talking through the trauma and understanding what happened with a therapist.
But most PTSD research is based on Western populations. Many treatments reflect Western values and ways of thinking valuing independence, agency and regaining personal control. These approaches do not work equally well for everyone. This matters because many trauma survivors are not from Western cultural backgrounds.
In Australia, more than 50% of people were born overseas or have a parent who was. This means that people may receive care that does not fully match how they understand their own experiences. Culture shapes how people remember the past, make sense of their experience, and seek social support.
These processes are also central to recovery from trauma. When treatment fits a person’s cultural background, it is more likely to be effective. CC BY-NC Everyone seems to be talking about trauma. Do we know more about it?
Or has the meaning changed? In this five-part series, we explore the shifting definition of trauma, why talking about it doesn’t always help, and what else can work. Why memory is key to recovery The key symptom of PTSD is distressing and unwanted memories of the trauma.
These flashbacks are vivid and overwhelming, and make people feel like they are re-living the trauma in the present. People with PTSD may avoid reminders of what happened, struggle with sleep and concentration, and experience changes in mood.
This is why memory plays a central role in recovery. PTSD interventions typically focus on helping people process these trauma memories.
This might involve talking through the memory with a therapist in a safe and supported way, making sense of what happened, and exploring how the experience has shaped how the person feels about themselves and the world.
But culture influences how we remember trauma Across cultures, telling stories about life experiences, including trauma, plays a central role in maintaining good mental health. But there can be cultural differences in how people with PTSD relate to and recount their experiences.
For example, Western culture is generally considered individualist, valuing personal independence, choice and control. This is reflected in psychology research that prompts people to talk about memories that define their identity.
Those from individualistic Western backgrounds – such as the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States – generally tend to discuss memories that centre on themselves as individuals, how they felt, and whether they had control over what happened.
When people from Western cultures have PTSD, trauma memories can become central to one’s identity focus, such as surviving a car accident. They also tend to give longer and more emotionally rich accounts of trauma.
These trauma memories then often become the focus of talking therapies for PTSD. Trauma is not always an identity In contrast, collectivist cultures, typical in many parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, tend to emphasise relationships, family, community and social harmony.
When talking about memories that define them, people from these backgrounds often downplay personal emotions and centre other people and social interactions. They may not view trauma through a personal lens or as an individual experience, instead describing its impact on others, social roles and the community.
Even those diagnosed with PTSD may not view trauma as central to their identity. This means the most common one-on-one PTSD treatments, which focus on talking with a therapist about individual feelings and memories, may fundamentally misunderstand how people from non-Western backgrounds relate to experiences of trauma.
Making meaning after trauma How a person makes meaning of their trauma can also influence their recovery. Are they trying to regain control over what happened, for example? Or are they aiming to accept the past and view challenges as part of life?
Many Western PTSD treatments focus on helping people feel more in control, capable of managing their trauma and current situation. However, these ideas don’t apply to everyone. In our research with Asian Australians with PTSD, we found feeling a sense of personal control and agency may be less important for their recovery than other goals.
Rather, lower levels of PTSD symptoms were associated with an increased sense of acceptance of what happened, adapting to the current situation, staying connected to others, and seeing adversity as an opportunity for growth. These goals may still be achieved in talk therapy with a psychologist.
But treatment must be culturally-informed, reflecting these different beliefs and values. When asking for support doesn’t help The way people seek support after trauma can also affect recovery. Among Western trauma survivors, research shows explicitly asking others for support and discussing the trauma – for example, calling a mental health service or a friend – can be beneficial.
However, in collectivist cultures this may be felt as burdening others, and increase a trauma survivor’s stress. One study of Malaysian adults with PTSD showed explicitly asking others for help actually led to more distress.
This can make it harder for some people to seek professional help or talk openly about their trauma. Expecting them to may not be culturally sensitive. What else can help? Some people from non-Western backgrounds may find implicit support, which means feeling supported simply by being around others, can be more beneficial than explicitly disclosing their trauma to others.
In practice, this might look like spending time with family, going for a walk with a friend, or being included in community activities such as sport, or cultural and religious events. Spirituality is often overlooked in trauma recovery.
But it can play an important role in helping people make meaning – for example, by understanding hardship as a test of faith, or feeling that patience will be rewarded by God. Among Muslim trauma survivors, studies link these kinds of beliefs with fewer PTSD symptoms.
Some research has also explored how Western “talk therapies” can incorporate spiritual approaches, such as the Qur’an or Buddhist teachings, rather than treating faith as separate from recovery. There is no single way to heal from trauma.
But it’s important to respect how culture shapes how people understand their experiences, seek support, and recover Your heading here
Laura Jobson receives funding from NHMRC, ARC and Wellcome Trust.
Xin Kie Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/06/03/what-we-still-get-wrong-about-how-people-from-non-western-backgrounds-recover-from-trauma/