Conceptualizing disparities and differences in the psychobiology of traumatic stress

Abstract

Understanding biological pathways that mediate trauma-related psychopathology is a major goal for traumatic stress studies. There is growing interest in studying differences in neural, physiological, and behavioral correlates of traumatic stress across demographic groups (e.g., sex/gender, race/ethnicity). However, challenges remain in how to appropriately conceptualize the source, mechanisms, and practical utility of between-group variation. The present brief conceptual review discusses ethnicity, race, and sex/gender-related variability relevant to understanding the psychobiology of traumatic stress in the context of traumatic stress studies. We discuss recent evidence related to socioenvironmental influences on ethnoracial variability in the brain and behavior relevant to traumatic stress, as well as sex/gender associations in neurophysiology that may contribute to the development of adverse posttraumatic sequelae. We further synthesize these findings by discussing intersectional influences of sex/gender- and race/ethnicity-related factors on trauma-related physical and mental health outcomes. The present review provides an important foundation for future research on disparities and individual differences in traumatic stress to move the field toward more effective assessment and treatment approaches.