ISTSS Members are from Around the World

There are 43 countries represented in the Society.

ISTSS is an international interdisciplinary organization that promotes advancement and exchange of knowledge about traumatic stress. Since its inception in 1985, ISTSS has provided a forum for the sharing of clinical strategies, research findings, public policy concerns, and theoretical formulations on trauma globally. Though a number of global activities, ISTSS continues to demonstrate its global scope and outreach:

ISTSS Global Initiatives Committee

The Global Initiatives Committee helps to promote ISTSS’s role as a global organization and makes recommendations to the leadership about how best to meet our mission and goals of being a truly global society. The Committee is active in supporting the Global Impact goal of the ISTSS Strategic Plan. It oversees and coordinates all ISTSS Global Activities.

ISTSS Affiliations

ISTSS and its affiliated organizations form an alliance of professional societies with the aim of advancing the field of traumatic stress worldwide. Members of the affiliate societies can join ISTSS at no-cost or reduced-cost in order to access benefits such as publications and a discount on conference registration. The ISTSS affiliate societies are listed here.

ISTSS Collaborations

ISTSS has short- and long-term collaborations around the world with organizations with expertise and interest in traumatic stress from a variety of diverse perspectives. The official collaborations are listed here.

ISTSS Global Meetings

By holding ISTSS meetings outside the USA, Global Meetings aim to:

  • Disseminate and exchange evidence-based knowledge throughout the world
  • Increase the global profile of ISTSS
  • Develop strong global collaborations within the traumatic stress field
  • Develop capacity to deliver evidence-based interventions practice across the world
  • Facilitate the transformation of ISTSS into a truly global organization

ISTSS Global Membership

ISTSS offers Corresponding Membership to professionals from selected countries including China, Hong Kong, Macau/Macao,Taiwan, India, Puerto Rico, and all African countries. Corresponding Members can join ISTSS for free and still enjoy a (limited) range of membership benefits. Furthermore, through its Travel Awards Program, ISTSS supports conference attendees coming from low- and middle-income countries. Travel awards are supported by voluntary contributions from ISTSS members and friends. Learn about the program and find out how to make a donation to the Travel Awards Fund. In addition, ISTSS offers sliding scale full membership rates, based on country of residency.

The Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress

ISTSS participates in the Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress which consists of researchers and clinicians representing traumatic stress societies worldwide who work together on traumatic stress topics of global importance. The aims of the Global Collaboration are: "To identify objectives, facilitate development, and coordinate activities of global importance [..] the community of traumatic stress researchers and practitioners should develop collaborations, and ultimately structures, that would enable them to optimally respond to those tasks that are best addressed by means of international collaboration” (Schnyder et al., 2017).

ISTSS Global Ambassadors

The Global Ambassadors program is a new Global Initiative: Nine distinguished Global Ambassadors were selected for the ISTSS Annual Meeting in November 2019 in Boston. They represent their region, welcome attendees, increase the global outlook of ISTSS and encourage shared global learning amongst the wider traumatic stress community. Global Ambassadors also judge for the student poster awards, partnering with and mentoring students in the fine art of reviewing poster presentations.

International Practice Guidelines for Post-Trauma Mental Health

Learn more about clinical practice guidelines produced in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.