Revista de tratamiento y trastornos del estrés traumático

Emerging Directions in Traumatic Stress Disorders and Treatment

Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin

Emerging Directions in Traumatic Stress Disorders and Treatment

Over the past 30 years, the field of traumatic stress disorders research and treatment has grown exponentially. A PsychINFO search on peer-reviewed research on “trauma treatment” identified 25 studies published in 1981; in 2011, there were 759. Numerous publication outlets for empirical and theoretical research now exist (to which the Journal of Traumatic Stress Disorders & Treatment is a helpful and desired addition). National and International centers and societies for the study of traumatic stress abound (i.e., the National Center for PTSD, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, the Division of Trauma Psychology of the American Psychological Association). As we continue to grow and expand as a field of research and treatment, we must strive to address some of the remaining gaps in traumatic stress studies. Below are six important issues that I feel are areas of growth for the field of traumatology.