[retrac]

The strongest evidence in favour of this line of argument is the large variation in the presentation and prevalence of certain mental illnesses, depending on culture. It would seem roughly 1% of people hear very literal voices talking to them, in every culture. But the prevalence of anxiety or depression-like illness varies by like an order of magnitude, at least based on people's self-reporting.

Our trauma-focused mentality is so prevalent in the West that many Westerners cannot help but project it. For example, when presented with evidence that suggests quite few Sri Lankans developed PTSD after being victims of the tsunami, it's an automatic reflex, isn't it? What's preventing them from recognizing and discussing their trauma? Perhaps instead something about their culture or environment, prevents them from developing trauma? That would have interesting implications.

[NoSorryCannot]

Then you have to admit the alternate explanation that people do not identify as having PTSD when they do, either because they don't know the signs or because it would be useless or embarrassing to do so.

Self-reporting is fraught when it comes to psychiatric disorders for a lot of reasons.