Trauma and violence disrupt individual and interpersonal experiences, presenting pressing challenges to global mental health and social cohesion. Their impacts resonate throughout the lifespan, shaping physical, psychological, and relational well-being in enduring ways. Critically, trauma experiences and resilience expressions are not universal—they are deeply shaped by the symbolic, familial, and societal structures that embed individuals. Key cultural divergences, particularly between Eastern and Western contexts, influence how trauma is encountered, suffering is communicated, and resilience is nurtured across all life stages. These differences stem from distinct social norms, conceptions of self, family systems, collective histories, and institutional responses. This Special Issue aims to concentrate on recent developments in the field of trauma, violence, and resilience, and work as a platform to allow researchers to discuss and share their experiences in exploring East–West differences in these areas across the lifespan. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
Cultural and contextual variations in trauma and violence exposure across the lifespan;
East–West differences in resilience to trauma and violence;
Developmental trajectories of trauma/violence-related outcomes and resilience from childhood to older adulthood;
Resilience processes in response to trauma and violence across cultural contexts;
Intergenerational transmission of trauma and resilience in Eastern and Western contexts, including family dynamic-related variables (systematic analysis);
The role of culture-specific healing practices (e.g., Eastern mindfulness-based traditions, Western psychotherapy) in facilitating traumatic memory integration and post-traumatic growth;
Clinical implications: Adapting psychoanalytic and systemic trauma therapeutic interventions across cultural contexts (considering concepts such as mentalization, enactment, and the therapeutic relationship as a complex, self-organizing system);
Measurement, conceptualization, and methodological challenges in cross-cultural trauma research.
