Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Question 1

What is the unifying theme for Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders?

Answer 1

Psychological distress in response to a stressful event

Question 2

What’s the difference between a traumatic and non-traumatic stressor?

Answer 2

Traumatic: involves serious bodily harm/life or death situation

Non-traumatic: person perceives that environmental demands exceed one’s resources to cope

Question 3

PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Criteria?

Answer 3

Exposure to a traumatic stressor-which can be either witnessing, learning about, or from direct experience

You need to have 1 or more symptoms from 4 different categories

Question 4

What are the four categories for PTSD diagnosis? Describe them.

Answer 4

1. Intrusion-nightmares, dreams, flashbacks, recollections, feeling events will reoccur
2. Avoidance-avoidance of thoughts, place, or conversations that remind you of the event
3. Negative Alterations-Anhedonia, dissociative amnesia, inability to participate in activities, negative emotions/beliefs/expectations
4. Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity-sleep disturbance: can’t sleep and can’t stay asleep, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated startle response, concentration problems, irritable/angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behavior

Question 5

Time period in which symptoms should start and stay to be diagnosed with PTSD

What should you remember?

Answer 5

Must last more than 1 month

People with life threatening medical events such as a heart attack can also experience PTSD

Question 6

ASD-Acute Stress Disorder

What is the difference between this and PTSD?

Answer 6

Traumatic exposure, need one symptom from the 4 categories but biggest difference is:

Symptoms last between 3 days to 1 month after exposure

Question 7

Neuroanatomical Correlates for PTSD/ASD?

There are three-are they under or over responsive?

Answer 7

Hyper-responsive Amygdala

Under-responsive ventro-medial prefrontal cortex

Reduced volume and dysfunction of hippocampus-leads to a failure to suppress fear in safe environments

Question 8

Treatments for PTSD/ASD

There are 3

Answer 8

1. Psychotherapy-offering safe environment to express feelings and problematic behaviors
2. Antidepressants
3. Benzodiazepines

Question 9

Adjustment Disorder

Key to diagnosis

Answer 9

Development of significant and disproportional emotional response in direct response to a psychological stressor

Acute onset and brief duration

Not explained by another disorder

Stressor is often an ordinary life experience but can be traumatic such as retirement, life-threatening illness, etc.

Key: NO OTHER DIAGNOSIS FITS

Question 10

What are subtypes of Adjustment Syndrome

Answer 10

1. With depressed mood
2. With anxiety
3. With disturbance of conduct

Question 11

Treatment of Adjustment Disorder

Answer 11

1. Learning of coping strategies in psychotherapy sessions
2. Involvement in support groups
3. Crisis intervention-hospitalization and psychotropic medications
   Ex: someone finds out their SO is cheating on them and tries to kill themselves

Question 12

What are the two diseases that are characterized by a direct result of pathogenic care early in life? (Social neglect/repeated changes in caregiver)

Answer 12

1. Reactive Attachment Disorder-inhibited and emotionally detached towards caregivers
2. Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder-overly familiar with strangers