L7 - Traumatic Stress Disorders Flashcards
What has to happen for someone to be diagnosed with PTSD?
The person must have experienced trauma/ exposure to a major traumatic event
According to the DSM-5 what recurrent intrusion symptoms have to be present and how many and for how long in order for PTSD to be diagnosed?
At least one of these symptoms for at least 30 days
- Distressing memories
- Distressing dreams
- Flashbacks
- Psychological distress or
psychological reactions to
exposure internal/ external
cues that resemble an
aspect of traumatic event(s)
How many avoidance symptoms have to be present for PTSD to be diagnosed, what are they and how long do they have to be present for?
at least 1 for at least 30 days
- Avoidance of distressing
memories, thoughts or feelings about the event(s) - Avoidance of reminders of
the event
How many symptoms related to negative alterations in thought/mood have to be present for PTSD to be diagnosed, what are they and how long do they have to be present for?
at least 2 for at least 30 days
- Inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s)
- Persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about the self, others, or the world
- Persistent distorted thoughts about why the event occurred
- Persistent negative emotional state
- Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities
- Feelings of detachment from other people
- Difficulty experiencing positive feelings
How many symptoms associated with arousal and reactivity have to be present for PTSD to be diagnosed, what are they and how long do they have to be present for?
at least 2 symptoms for at least 30 days
- Irritability
- Reckless behaviour
- Hypervigilance
- Exaggerated startle
response - Concentration problems
- Sleep problems
What has to be in place with these symptoms in order for PTSD to be diagnosed?
Symptoms persist for a month following traumatic exposure
Symptoms must be associated with at least 1 area of life e.g., social, occupational, relational
Symptoms also can’t be due to other influences e.g., medication use, substance use or other illness.
According to the DSM what is trauma?
DSM is very specific about what qualifies as trauma i.e., exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, sexual violence or exposure to media (if part of occupation) all can result in trauma.
What are the criticisms of diagnosing PTSD?
Meta-analyses have shown consistent social, demographic, trauma related and biological correlates of PTSD
As well as treatments that are effective for PTSD, but these same analyses showed that the effect sizes of many variables vary dramatically
What has research into the prevalence of traumatic events shown?
70% of adults have experienced a traumatic event in their lives with 30% experiencing for 4+ years
This was lower in Bulgaria - 28.6% and higher in Ukraine - 84.6%
Based off this research what are the 5 most common traumas:
- Unexpected death of a loved
one - Witnessing a death, a dead
body or someone seriously
injured - Being mugged
- Life-threatening automobile
accidents - Life-threatening illness or
injury
According to these studies what are the lifetime prevalence rates?
13.0-20.4% for women
6.2-8.2% for men
What is the difference in 12-month prevalence rates between countries?
Higher 12-month prevalence rates in high-income countries compared to low and middle-income countries.
What are the predictions of trauma?
Women - more likely to experience intimate partner sexual violence
Men - more likely to experience physical violence and accidents
Traumas involving violence and accidents are more common is adolescences and young adults
What is the issue when trying to identify predictors of PTSD?
Trauma is hard to quantify
Evidence that false negatives are more common that false positives
People are more likely to underreport traumas.
Cultural and societal norms around how acceptable/ stigmatised trauma is leads to differences in response rates per country
How does resilience affect PTSD?
resilience is a common response to negative life events.
