title: Psychotraumatology in the Netherlands.
abstract: The contribution to psychotrauma literature from Dutch authors has a long tradition. The relatively high lifetime prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not unique for the Netherlands and does not fully explain the interest in trauma and its consequences. In this overview of psychotraumatology in the Netherlands, we will discuss some of the key events and processes that contribute to the current interest. We outlined the historical basis and development of the field in the Netherlands, including the impact of World War II, the effects of major man-made or natural disasters, engagement in military conflicts, as well as smaller scale traumatic events like sexual abuse and traffic accidents. The liberal and open culture may have reduced stigma to trauma, while other sociocultural aspects may have contributed to increased prevalence. Finally, we describe Dutch psychotraumatology today and how history and culture have shaped the current scientific basis.
authors.affiliation: Military Mental Health Research Center, Ministery of Defence, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vermetten
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olff
keywords: Netherlands; PTSD; history; psychotraumatology; review