Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is unique in that diagnosis must include a precipitating traumatic event. Although many different traumatic events can lead to PTSD, a great amount of research has been generated on war veterans. An examination of the literature on PTSD reveals that women and minority veterans have been recipients of prejudice and exclusion in clinical research, diagnoses and treatment of PTSD. Pre- and post-trauma variables may account for differences in incidence and severity of PTSD. Clinical assessment and treatment of PTSD for women and minorities is inadequate, often not considering gender or ethnoculturally diverse research and data.
