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Related Experiment Videos

Post-modernity and post-traumatic stress disorder.

P J Bracken1

  • 1Department o Applied Social Studies, University of Bradford, UK. p.bracken@bradford.ac.uk

Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|August 21, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Cultural shifts towards post-modernity, characterized by weakened social structures, may explain the increased focus on trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This suggests a link between societal changes and psychological distress.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Psychology
  • Cultural Studies
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Recent years have seen a significant rise in the focus on the after-effects of trauma within psychiatric and psychological discourse.
  • Explanations for this increased interest have predominantly focused on internal developments within these fields.
  • This analysis posits that broader cultural transformations are the primary drivers behind this phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the influence of cultural changes, specifically the advent of post-modernity, on the heightened interest in trauma.
  • To establish a connection between the characteristics of post-modern culture and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • To re-evaluate the relationship between trauma and culture in light of these societal shifts.

Main Methods:

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  • Conceptual analysis linking cultural theory with psychological and psychiatric concepts.
  • Examination of the characteristics of post-modernity, including the undermining of social stability and cultural institutions.
  • Theoretical association drawn between the breakdown of meaning in post-modernity and the etiology of PTSD symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Post-modernity, marked by diminished social coherence and weakened meaning-providing institutions, creates conditions conducive to increased focus on trauma.
  • The development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is understood as stemming from a breakdown of meaning within an individual's world.
  • A significant association is proposed between the cultural context of post-modernity and the prevalence and understanding of PTSD.

Conclusions:

  • The rise in trauma discourse is significantly influenced by cultural shifts towards post-modernity, rather than solely by internal disciplinary developments.
  • Understanding PTSD requires acknowledging the role of a cultural milieu characterized by weakened social structures and a crisis of meaning.
  • This perspective offers broader implications for comprehending the intricate relationship between trauma experiences and their cultural contexts.