PTSD

Question 1

Define PTSD

Answer 1

Disorder resulting from a major stressor, with symptoms lasting for more than one month
Diagnosis is only considered if the individual has experienced a traumatic event

Question 2

What defines trauma?

Answer 2

• trauma can be experienced differently by different people
• exposure to actual, or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation
• experiencing, witnessing, learning or repeated exposure.

Question 3

traumatic events that precipitate PTSD and their likelihood of developing the disorder

Answer 3

• exposure to actual or threatened death
• Rape- 90%
  -torture 70-90
• prisoners of war >50
• earthquake and flood (20-25%)
• motor vehicle accidents(15%)

Question 4

Symptoms are grouped in 4 categories. What are they?

Answer 4

1. Intrusive symptoms
2. Avoidance responding
3. Negative changes in mood and cognition
4. Increased arousal and reactivity
   onset symptoms may not occur until 6 months later the event

Question 5

Disorder that is closely related to PTSD

Answer 5

ASD. Acute stress disorder.
This is categorised by anxiety, dissociation, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problems in concentration, reliving the event in dreams and flashbacks
up to 1 month following the event

Question 6

Biological explanation for how PTSD develops

Answer 6

1)(Immediate responseA)
Visual/auditory threat goes from thalamus to amygdala. It triggers physical responses such as sweaty palms, faster heartbeat and increased blood pressure
2)(Cognitive processing B)
The thalamus sends data to the neuocortex for evaluation. The neuocortex assesses if the threat is real, maintaining or reducing the amygdala’s fear response
Learning and Memory Formation: Engages the hippocampus to form danger-specific memories, influencing PTSD symptoms like re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal.

Question 7

vulnerability factors ( people at higher risk)

Answer 7

• tendency o take personal responsibility for the trauma
• developmental factors (unstable childhood)
• a family history of PTSD
• Existing high levels of anxiety or a pre-existing psychopathology(depression)

Question 8

What is the first stage of Mowrer’s two-factor learning theory?

Answer 8

A neural stimulus becomes associated with an aversive event causing fear

Question 9

What is the second stage of Mowrer’s two-factor learning theory?

Answer 9

The person learns to avoid the feared stimulus, which reduces anxiety, reinforcing the avoidance behaviour

Question 10

How does fear develop according to Mowrer’s theory

Answer 10

Fear develops through classical conditioning and is maintained through operant conditioning

Question 11

What role does avoidance play in Mowrer’s two factor theory

Answer 11

avoidance behaviour is reinforced because it helps the person avoid fear and anxiety

Question 12

Foa’s emotional processing theory

Answer 12

fear memories are laid down and activated in the fear networks in the brain. Shortly after the trauma, the fear is represented in memory as a cognitive structure that acts as a ‘program’ for escaping danger.
- trauma becomes associated with cues
- avoidance of these situations associated with cues
-change assumptions of the world

Question 13

treatments include:

Answer 13

• psychological debriefing
• ## exposure therapies