Culturally sensitive PTSD screening in non-western youth: Reflections and indications for mental health practitioners

Children around the world are exposed to traumatic events and research con- firms that cultural factors play a central role in the psychological experience of trauma and the manifestation of symptoms in trauma and stress-related disor- ders. The DSM-5 and ICD-11 call on practitioners to consider the role of culture and context in the manifestation, assessment, and treatment of mental health disorders. This article analyzes peer-reviewed literature involving youth and adolescent PTSD screening in non-Western contexts, revealing only few instruments that have undergone validation for cultural contexts outside those for which they were developed. Studies that include cultural validation show marked differences in methodology and conceptual framework for adaptation, translation, and validation, and disagreement on the scale and scope of tools necessary to assess the impact of trauma in non-Western youth. The discussed studies reveal a need to debate a uniform methodology for cultural adaptation and validation of PTSD screening instruments.