Abnormal Week 7

Question 1

what was PTSD called before any of the World Wars?

• after WWI?
• after WWII?

Answer 1

before any world wars: Solider’s heart

after WWI: shell shock

after WWII: combat fatigue

Question 2

what makes PTSD so different from any other disorders

Answer 2

the definition includes part of its cause

Question 3

how is PTSD defined

Answer 3

an extreme response to a severe stressor,

Question 4

secondary traumatic stress

Answer 4

hearing about first hand trauma encountered by another

- can occur in professionals in trauma

Question 5

PTSD - when does it begin?

Answer 5

there is an initial latency period - could take 1 month, could take years, before symptoms manifest - but once they being they will follow a chronic course

Question 6

how many people who experiece a traumatic event/ severe trauma experience PTSD

Answer 6

1 in 3 people who experience severe trauma

Question 7

for diagnosis of PTSD how long do symptoms need to last

Answer 7

longer than 1 month

Question 8

to diagnose acute stress disorder

Answer 8

symptoms have to last longer than 3 days and less than 1 month

• onsets quicker than PTSD
• causes significant social impairment and impairment of operational functioning

Question 9

categories of symptoms for PTSD

Answer 9

1. intrusive symptoms
2. persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event beginning after the ebent has occured
3. marked alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the traumatic event
4. negative alteration in cognition and moods association with the traumatic event

Question 10

difference between panic disorder and PTSD

Answer 10

panic disorders - no cause of the panic attacks

- PTSD- panic attacks are brought on by experiencing the event

Question 11

risk factors for PTSD and being exposed to trauma

Answer 11

• exposure to previous traumas
• women 2x higher than males for experiencing PTSD
• experiencing multiple traumas may make one more vulnerable to previous PTSD symptoms when experiencing a new trauma

Question 12

Males vs females and PTSD

Answer 12

males - have higher levels of trauma exposure

females - more likely to develop PTSD

Question 13

most common trauma for women with PTSD

Answer 13

(1/3 women)

child sexual abuse, and sexual assault -

Question 14

protective factors against PTSD

Answer 14

• being exposed to less severe events

- having high intelligence (115+)

Question 15

what percentage of people who experience a traumatic event leading to physical injury subsequently develop PTSD

Answer 15

25%

Question 16

cognitive theories of PTSD

Answer 16

• disorder of memory

- the hallmark being constant involuntary recollection of the traumatic event

Question 17

what is crisis intervention regarding PTSD

Answer 17

that it is best to intervene in some fashion as soon as possible after a traumatic event before the PTSD develops - since there is a latency period

Question 18

Types of treatment for PTSD

Answer 18

mostly CBT based

1) prolonged exposure therapy (gold standard)
2) narrative exposure therapy (NET)
3) virtual reality
4) eye movement desis

Question 19

what is prolonged exposure therapy

Answer 19

the gold standard treatment for PTSD
- changes appraisal
gradual desensitization training to traumatic event (commonly through imagery)
- 8-15 sessions 1.5-2h
- in-vivo exposure
- focuses on worst traumatic events
- leads to extinction of fear response and changes the meaning of the triggering stimuli

Question 20

what is narrative exposure therapy (NET)

Answer 20

most often used in the case of mulitple traumas

• converts fragmented memories of relative events into coherent narratives
• important to make sure patients do not disconnect with the present during therapy
• targets ALL TRAUMATIC EVENTS
• 1/per week for 320 minutes

Question 21

virtual reality treatment

Answer 21

virtual Iraq system
2 possible scenarios
benefits: less stigma than seeing a psychologist; used as preventative treatment and resilience training before deployment

Question 22

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Answer 22

follow therapists finger while recounting traumatic story, after verbalizing story, patient is encouraged to follow finger and think positive thoughts