Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-204) and index.

"Traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress more particularly, has g ained international prominence as a condition or disorder that affects people across the globe in the wake of exposure to extreme life events, be these collective or individual. Given the history of political viol ence in South Africa, extremely high levels of violence against women a nd children and the prevalence of violent crime, South Africa has the u nfortunate distinction of being considered a real life laboratory in wh ich to study traumatic stress. Taking both a historical and contemporar y perspective, the title covers the extent of and manner in which traum atic stress manifests, including the way in which exposure to such extr emely threatening events impacts on people's meaning and belief systems . Therapeutic and community strategies for addressing and healing the e ffects of trauma exposure are comprehensively covered, as well as the p articular needs of traumatised children and adolescents. Illustrative c ase material is used to render ideas accessible and engaging. Traumatic stress in South Africa provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overvie w of theory and practice in the field of traumatic stress studies, inco rporating both international and South African specific findings. The p articular value of the text lies in the integration of global and local material and attention to context related challenges, such as how trau ma presentation and intervention is coloured by cultural systems and cl ass disparities. The text would be of particular interest to scholars a nd practitioners working with traumatic stress in developing countries or in settings in which assessment and intervention resources are limit ed. The book highlights both psychological and sociopolitical dimension s of traumatic stress and emphasises insights derived from working in t he South African context that have potential relevance for shaping the direction of traumatic stress studies"--Bookseller's website.