Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
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Original Editors - Samantha Sowder from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.
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Definition/Description1,2,4[edit | edit source]
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disordered characterized by psychological symptoms that continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event. Any physical or psychological trauma can trigger PTSD, but there is most often an involvement of actual or threatened serious injury to the person or someone close to them. The most common traumatic events leading to PTSD are combat, natural disasters, and abuse and victimization, including sexual assault and terrorism. The psychological pattern, characterized by persistent and chronic symptoms that arise in certain individuals in response to such events define this disorder. The three primary symptoms of PTSD are frequent recollections of the event, which have become intrusive to daily life, avoidance of stimuli or situations triggering memories of the event, with a resulting emotional numbness or unresponsiveness, and increased physical arousal with anxiety, including extreme irritability or angry outbursts.
Prevalence1,4[edit | edit source]
-Up to 80% of all acute stress disorders develop into PTSD.1
-Approximately 3.5% of people/year in the US experience PTSD and 7% in their lifetime and studies of at-risk individuals have resulted in rates ranging from 3% to 58% lifetime prevalence.
-Two times as many women as men develop the disorder with 20% of women exposed to trauma and 8% of men.
-Research is examining the influence of race and culture with findings suggestive of increased incidence and risk in Hispanic Americans.
Characteristics/Clinical Presentation1,2,4,5[edit | edit source]
Symptoms of PTSD can include:
re-experiencing the traumatic event (recurring thoughts, memories, dreams, nightmares, flashbacks)
avoidance
reduced responsiveness
increased arousal, anxiety, and guilt
feelings of detachment and dissociation
dazed feeling
difficulty remembering
feeling that surroundings, thoughts, or body are strange and unnatural
hyper-alertness
difficulty concentrating
sleep disturbances
Children and teens may have other signs and symptoms than those described above:
new/unusual bedwetting
inability to talk
acting out traumatic events during playtime
heightened need for attention
extreme dependence on parent/adult
extreme disruptive behaviors
lack of guilt in not preventing harm to others
need for revenge
Symptoms associated with anxiety, stress, and tension:
excitability
dizziness
fainting
heart palpitations
fever
headaches
Symptoms may present themselves immediately following trauma or may be delayed months or years.
Associated Co-morbidities[edit | edit source]
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Medications[edit | edit source]
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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values[edit | edit source]
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Etiology/Causes[edit | edit source]
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Systemic Involvement[edit | edit source]
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Medical Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)[edit | edit source]
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Differential Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
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Case Reports/ Case Studies[edit | edit source]
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Resources
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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)[edit | edit source]
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References[edit | edit source]
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- Comer RJ. Abnormal Psychology. 6th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers; 2007.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Health Topics: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Available at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/complete-index.shtml. Updated August 31, 2010. Accessed March 6, 2011.
- Fleener, PE. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Today: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder DSM-TR-IVTM Diagnosis & Criteria. Available at http://www.mental-health-today.com/ptsd/dsm.htm. Accessed March 13, 2011.
- Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE. Psychology. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers; 2003.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed Health: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/. Updated February 14, 2010. Accessed March 13, 2011.
- Bisson J, Andrew M. Psychological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Review). The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 1. Available at http://info.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/userfiles/ccoch/file/CD003388.pdf. Accessed March 16, 2011.