International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

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International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Bringing together clinicians and researchers from around the world,
to advocate for the field of traumatic stress.

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The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies is dedicated to sharing information about the effects of trauma and the discovery and dissemination of knowledge about policy, program and service initiatives that seek to reduce traumatic stressors and their immediate and long-term consequences.

Mission Statement

ISTSS is an international interdisciplinary professional organization that promotes advancement and exchange of knowledge about traumatic stress.

This knowledge includes:
Understanding the scope and consequences of traumatic exposure
Preventing traumatic events and ameliorating their consequences, and
Advocating for the field of traumatic stress.

Trauma Blog

The Hong Kong Survey on the Epidemiology of Traumatic Experience and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
The Hong Kong Survey on the Epidemiology of Traumatic Experience and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Posted on 08/08/2019 by Kitty Wu, Ph.D., Patrick Leung, Ph.D., & Corine Wong, Ph.D.
TE is common and there is cross-national variation in prevalence. In the World Mental Health Survey (WMHS) (Kessler et al., 2017) with a combined sample of 68,894 adults across six continents,  findings showed that the highest TE prevalence estimates among high income countries was USA (83%); for all countries combined was 70%; 31% were exposed to four or more.
Cumulative Trauma Exposure, Emotion Regulation, and PTSD Among Incarcerated Women
Cumulative Trauma Exposure, Emotion Regulation, and PTSD Among Incarcerated Women
Posted on 08/02/2019 by Shannon M. Lynch, PhD
Women in prison experience high rates of traumatic exposures such as childhood physical and sexual abuse, sexual assault, and partner violence. Not surprisingly, research suggests this population has rates of PTSD that are three to five times that of women in the general population (Karlsson & Zielinski, 2018).
Bringing Philosophy to Bear on Moral Injury and PTSD Construct Validation: Commentary on Farnsworth (2019)
Bringing Philosophy to Bear on Moral Injury and PTSD Construct Validation: Commentary on Farnsworth (2019)
Posted on 08/02/2019 by Sheila Frankfurt, PhD, LP and Alanna Coady, MDiv
As part of the recent surge of interest in Moral Injury (MI), there have been efforts to differentiate this developing construct from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Farnsworth (2019) proposed basing this distinction on the philosophical is/ought divide, applied to DSM-5 PTSD’s Criteria D (Negative Alterations in Cognitions and Mood).