The article under review is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5: Controversy, Change, and Conceptual Considerations by Anushka Pai, Alina M. Suris, and Carol S. North in Behavioral Sciences. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault (U.S. Department VA, 2007). PTSD can happen to anyone and many factors can increase the possibility of developing PTSD that are not under the person’s own control. Symptoms of PTSD usually will start soon after the traumatic event but may not appear for months or years later. There are four types of symptoms of PTSD but may show in different …show more content…
Substantial research has demonstrated that PTSD portrays many emotions such as guilt, shame, and anger that are outside the range for fear/anxiety disorders. In the DSM-5 PTSD formed a new category named “Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders”. This category is unique in the requirement of exposure to a stressful event that then results in the condition. This category also includes adjustment disorder, reactive attachment disorder, disinhibited social engagement disorder, and acute stress disorder. Another unique quality about this category is that it is the only diagnostic category in the DSM-5 that is not grouped theoretically by the type of symptoms representative of the disorder in …show more content…
The current criteria for assessment of PTSD is only suitable if criterion A is met. Every symptom must be bound to the traumatic event through temporal and/or contextual evidence. The DSM-5 stipulates that to qualify, the symptoms must begin (criterion B or C) or worsen (symptom D and E) after the traumatic event. Even though symptoms must be linked to a traumatic event, this linking does not imply causality or etiology (Pai, 2017, p.4). The changes made with the DSM-5 included increasing the number of symptom groups from three to four and the number of symptoms from 17 to 20. The symptom groups are intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and
“Studies show that PTSD occurs in 1%-14% of the population. It can be diagnosed at any age, and can occ...
The investigators sought out potential subjects through referrals from psychiatric hospitals, counseling centers, and psychotherapists. All potential subjects were screened with a scripted interview and if they met all the inclusion criteria they met with an investigator who administered the Clinical-Administered PTSD Scale(CAPS) to provide an accurate diagnosis. In the end the study ended up with 12 subject, 10 females and 2 males with a mean age of 41.4, that met the criteria for PTSD with treatment resistant symptoms, which were shown with a CAPS score of greater than or equal to 50.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), originally associated with combat, has always been around in some shape or form but it was not until 1980 that it was named Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and became an accredited diagnosis (Rothschild). The fact is PTSD is one of many names for an old problem; that war has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways. PTSD has a history that is as long and significant as the world’s war history - thousands of years. Although, the diagnosis has not been around for that long, different names and symptoms of PTSD always have been. Some physical symptoms include increased blood pressure, excessive heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, problems with vision, speech, walking disorders, convulsive vomiting, cardiac palpitations, twitching or spasms, weakness and severe muscular cramps. The individual may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as violent nightmares, flashbacks, melancholy, disturbed sleep or insomnia, loss of appetite, and anxieties when certain things remind them such as the anniversary date of the event (Peterson, 2009).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychological disorder that’s brought about after encountering a traumatic experience. This disorder can vary between mild and extreme severity in symptoms and effect on the suffering patient. It’s caused by a hyper-aroused state in the brain, using a magnetoencephalography machine “We could see heightened arousal that was maintained in the PTSD-afflicted men and not in the men who don’t suffer from the illness” (The Globe and Mail, Image of PTSD). Therefore, most commonly the individual will present with suicidal tendencies, making this condition a danger to anyone who is
Research done by Paul Ciechanowski in 2015 identified the continuance of PTSD from 6.8 to 12.3 percent in the overall adult population in the U.S. (Ciechanowski, 2015). To be diagnosed with this disorder the individual must meet a certain set of criteria. The criteria for PTSD that we will be using can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder Ed.4, or DSM-IV for short. PTSD is categorized by the following symptoms: intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, nightmares and flashbacks of the past traumatic events, and avoidance to triggers of the trauma. The list I just gave you is a simplified version of the criteria that needs to meet for diagnosing PTSD. A more thorough detailing of the criteria can be found in Appendix section of this paper (PTSD Criteria List n.d.). When assessing whether an individual has PTSD or not it is important to specify the onset or duration of the disorder. Specifications in the duration of PTSD are acute, chronic, and delayed onset. Acute is referring to less than three months, chronic is referring to more than three months, and delayed onset is referring to six months passing before symptoms are
Treatment Goals: Verbalize an accurate understanding of PTSD and how it develops. Learn and implemen...
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
The Children's PTSD Inventory was developed from the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the DSM-IV-TR. Inventory items were written in language that could be easily understood by children. Then, to assess the phrasing and improve clarity, the test items were read aloud to 8-year-old children and their comments and level of understanding were noted.
Stapleton, J. A., Taylor, S., & Asmundson, G. G. (2006). Effects of three PTSD treatments on
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is one of the deepest injuries that anyone can go through after experiencing such a negative event in their lifetime. Unlike other disorders, PTSD is not a disorder that can be deliberated by scientific facts. It is a disorder that can only be fully understood by a person who has experienced as damaging as the event at hand. According to the Mayo Clinic of healthcare service, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) “is a mental health condition that 's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or
Weathers, F.W., Litz, B.T., Keane, T.M., Palmieri, P.A., Marx, B.P., & Schnurr, P.P. (2013). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)- Standard [Measurement instrument]. Retrieved from
It was not until 1980 when the DSM- III was published that PTSD was officially recognized as an anxiety disorder for victims of traumatic incidents (TIs) and not until 1994 when DSM- IV was published it included the witnesses as well. For psychological traits to be classified as PTSD they must satisfy the following: exposure to TI directly causes peritraumatic distress not long after the event, currently re-experiencing TI, avoiding triggers to memories of the scenario with general unresponsiveness, and hyperactivity (Lavoie et al., 2016). With the TI, memories of the event are intruding upon the daily function of the individual through images, thoughts, tastes, sounds, and smells with the flashbacks correlating
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a real mental illness that needs to be taken more seriously. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental illness that can develop with people who have experienced a traumatic event in their lives. There are some people that believe PTSD is not a real illness, and that it is an excuse for someone’s behavior. That idea is incorrect. PTSD can severely affect the way a person lives in a real way. It is not a disability that is new to society however it has been recently acknowledged. The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology states, “Post-traumatic stress disorder has been classified as an anxiety disorder in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980.” (505).
Anger, aggression and confusion are a few symptoms of the fabled myth of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An over whelming feeling that devours men and women of the armed forces, but hasn’t been talked about openly until, now. A subject no one likes to openly speak of, due to fear of being cast out as an outsider among the normal people who never witnessed something so traumatic can function in normal society today.
The mental illness most commonly associated with war veterans is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Events that may trigger PTSD include: violent personal assault, accidents, natural disasters, and military combat (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Adults). An individual experiencing PTSD shows symptoms of having flash-backs and frightening thoughts, avoiding places linked to the event, emotional numbness, strong guilt, difficulty sleeping, and being easily startled (PTSD). The widespread implication of these symptoms shows that having this disorder makes living a normal life and participating in everyday social situations a difficult task. The wars